Courtesy: hp houston marathon

A record-setting field of close to 12,000 runners is expected to participate in the three events that comprise the 2003 hp houston marathon weekend.

The flagship event - the 31st annual hp houston marathon - expects a field of 6,000, including 1996 New Zealand Olympic marathoner Sean Wade of Houston and defending women's champion Becky Sondag of Casper, Wyo.

More than 4,000 runners will register for the second-annual ep 13.1 miler, making Houston's only half-marathon one of the fastest growing races in the Southwest.

A field of 1,500 is anticipated for the weekend's third race, the 24 hour fitness 4 miler.

All races are scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 19. The action begins at 7 a.m., with the marathon and half-marathon (wheelchair contestants in the two races will start at 6:45 a.m.). The starting gun sounds at 7:35 a.m. for the 4 miler (7:30 a.m. for wheelchairs).

"The response from the running community to this year's event has been outstanding," said first-year race director Brant Kotch. "The word is spreading that the hp houston marathon experience - irrespective of which race runners chose to participate in - means a fast course, supportive volunteers and fans, and unique technology to track performances. We're clearly on the verge of having our most successful year ever."

While the majority of runners competing in all three events are from the greater Houston area, the marathon will draw participants from across the U.S. as well as outside its borders. The return of prize money to hp houston marathon also is helping to fuel additional interest in the race.

Wade, a veteran of four Houston Marathons, is expected to be among those competing for the top marathon prize of $3,500. Another Houstonian, Gannon White, has raced well during the Houston Marathon Warm-Up Series and also could be a runner to watch. Jeff Chalmers, of Bay Village, Ohio, and Mexico's Joel Ibarra are a pair of runners who could give the local elites some company at the front of the pack.

Sondag ran 2:50:49 to win the 2002 hp houston marathon and returns to defend her title against a strong women's field that includes 2002 San Antonio Marathon champion Albina Gallyamova, of Las Cruces, N.M., Maureen Larsen from Omaha, Neb. and local, Julie Mosier of Kingwood.

Among those in the ep 13.1 miler field will be several national- class elite runners, including U.S. Olympic marathon hopefuls Todd Reeser and Scott Strand. Beth Old, Machelle Cochran and defending ep 13.1 miler champion, Chrisy Crotta, headline the field in the women's half.

The total prize purse for the marathon and half-marathon is $19,000, with $1,000 going to the winner of the ep 13.1 miler.

"Preparations for this year's event have gone very well, thanks to our dedicated core team of volunteers," said Kotch. "Now, we're keeping our fingers crossed for good weather conditions, which, at this point, look runner-friendly for the weekend."

Long-range forecasts call for a morning low near 30 degrees, warming to the 50s by mid-day, with virtually no chance of rain.

While the heart of the action on hp houston marathon weekend takes place on Sunday, festivities begin Friday, Jan. 17 with the Koala Health & Fitness Expo - the nation's third-largest fitness exposition. The Expo runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, in Hall D of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Also on Saturday, more than 6,000 Houston-area elementary and middle-school students will participate in the annual Texas Children's Hospital Kids Fun Run, pushing total weekend participation to an anticipated 18,000 - an event record.

The hp houston marathon, a Running USA founding member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 U.S. states and several foreign countries. In 2002, nearly 15,000 runners took part in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half-marathon, four-mile run and children's run). The hp houston marathon offers the only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in the nation by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single- day sporting event.

Further information is available at www.hphoustonmarathon.com or by calling (713) 957-3453.