When and How to Watch the Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon
Start Date
The 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Start Times
- 6:35 a.m. Marathon & Half Marathon Wheelchair & Handcycle Division
- 6:45 a.m. Aramco Houston Half Marathon Elite Field
- 6:55 a.m. Chevron Houston Marathon Elite Field
- 6:55 a.m. Marathon & Half Marathon Open Field
How to Watch the Houston Marathon
TV Broadcast
Live coverage of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will air on ABC13 from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on race morning. ABC13 will also broadcast a race-day recap special at 10:35 p.m. later that night.
Live Streaming
Both races will be streamed live through ABC13, with separate streams available for the full marathon and half marathon. Streaming can be accessed via ABC13.com and ESPN+, making it easy to watch on desktop, mobile, or smart devices.
Watching on the App
The official Chevron Houston Marathon app, available on Apple and Android, offers live race coverage alongside real-time runner tracking. Features include 5K splits, a live elite leaderboard, course maps, street closures, and the ability to send cheers to runners during the race.
Where to Watch In Person
Spectators along the course will find organized cheer zones throughout the day.
Early highlights include Marathon Elvis at Mile 1 and the Aldine High School Drumline at Mile 2, followed by a stretch of charity and cultural cheer stations through the opening miles. Popular mid-race viewing spots include the Fleet Feet and Brooks watch party near Mile 7 and West University Place City Hall around Mile 11. Later on, crowds gather near The Galleria at Mile 14, the Miles of Music section on Memorial Drive (Miles 19–21), and Buffalo Bayou Park in the final miles, where runners often need the most support.
Tracking Runners
Friends and family can follow participants throughout the race using online runner tracking or the official app, which provides live splits, finish times, and elite race updates.
Course Map
Elevation
The Houston Marathon and Half Marathon are flat, fast courses with minimal elevation change. Elevation maps for both races are available through the race website.
Start Line & Corrals
The marathon and half marathon share a single start line and use a corral-based, pulsed start beginning at 6:55 a.m. Corrals are assigned based on predicted finish time entered during registration. Corral A placement requires a submitted qualifying time by November 30.
Course Marking & Timing
Mile markers are posted every mile, with race clocks every 5K. All clocks are set to the official start time.
Aid Stations
Water and Gatorade Endurance Formula are available every 1.5 miles starting at Mile 2. Medical aid stations and port-a-cans are located at the same intervals. Hydration is also available at the finish area inside the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Time Limits & Cutoffs
The half marathon time limit is 4 hours (18:18 per mile). The marathon time limit is 6 hours (13:45 per mile).
Both races share the course until Mile 7.6, where the half marathon splits off. Marathon runners who cannot maintain the required pace before the split may be redirected to the half marathon course. Runners who fall behind pace later in the race will be removed from the course and transported by SAG vehicles.
Weather
HOUSTON WEATHERPrize Money
The 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon will offer a minimum total of $220,000 in prize money. (Breakdown TBA)
The 2026 Aramco Houston Half Marathon will offer a minimum total of $80,000 in prize money. (Breakdown TBA)
Men’s and Women’s Elite Start Lists
Women’s Marathon
| Calli Hauger-Thackery | GBR | 2:21:24 |
| Biruktayit Degefa | USA | 2:21:34 |
| Janet Ruguru | KEN | 2:23:00 |
| Tejinesh Tulu | ETH | 2:24:37 |
| Dot McMahan | USA | 2:31:48 |
| Erin Mawhinney | CAN | 2:36:14 |
| Shannon Smith | USA | 2:34:24 |
| Sara Hall | USA | PACE |
| Fiona O’Keeffe | USA | PACE |
| Carolin Garrett | USA | DEBUT |
Men’s Marathon
| Zouhair Talbi | USA | 2:06:39 |
| Adane Kebede | ETH | 2:06:54 |
| Yemane Haileselassie | ERI | 2:08:25 |
| Shadrack Kimining | KEN | 2:08:29 |
| Teshome Mekonen | USA | 2:10:16 |
| Emad Bashi Mohamed | USA | 2:17:33 |
| Awet Beraki | USA | 2:19:32 |
| Wesley Robinson | USA | 2:16:07 |
| Nick Hauger | USA | PACE |
| Josh Izewski | USA | PACE |
| Hendrik Pfieffer | GER | PACE |
| Frank Lara | USA | PACE |
| Ethan Gregg | USA | DEBUT |
Women’s Half Marathon
| Tsigie Gebreselama | ETH | 1:04:21 |
| Evaline Chirchir | KEN | 1:06:01 |
| Buze Diriba | ETH | 1:06:24 |
| Veronica Loleo | KEN | 1:06:40 |
| Taylor Roe | USA | 1:07:22 |
| Amanda Vestri | USA | 1:07:25 |
| Fentaye Belayneh | ETH | 1:07:31 |
| Annie Frisbie | USA | 1:07:34 |
| Dakotah Popehn | USA | 1:07:42 |
| Honami Maeda | JPN | 1:08:28 |
| Makenna Myler | USA | 1:08:28 |
| Natosha Rogers | USA | 1:08:35 |
| Nell Rojas | USA | 1:08:52 |
| Susanna Sullivan | USA | 1:08:59 |
| Erika Kemp | USA | 1:09:10 |
| Maggie Montoya | USA | 1:09:26 |
| Jessica Gockley Day | USA | 1:09:37 |
| Lauren McNeil | GBR | 1:10:10 |
| Sichala Kumeshi | ETH | 1:10:56 |
| Ms Seema | IND | 1:11:23 |
| Alice Wright | GBR | 1:11:38 |
| Olivia Borowiak | USA | 1:13:41 |
| Laura Galvan | MEX | DEBUT |
| Annie Rodenfels | USA | DEBUT |
| Eva Jess | USA | DEBUT |
Men’s Half Marathon
| Vincent Ngetich | KEN | 0:59:09 |
| Galen Rupp | USA | 0:59:47 |
| Hillary Bor | USA | 0:59:55 |
| Cam Levins | CAN | 1:00:18 |
| Biya Simbassa | USA | 1:00:37 |
| Sam Chelanga | USA | 1:00:37 |
| Andrew Colley | USA | 1:00:47 |
| Alex Maier | USA | 1:00:48 |
| Marcelo Laguera | MEX | 1:00:53 |
| Reed Fischer | USA | 1:00:54 |
| Rory Linkletter | CAN | 1:00:57 |
| Ryan Ford | USA | 1:00:59 |
| Alberto Mindez | GUA | 1:01:03 |
| Alex Masai | KEN | 1:01:04 |
| Peter Lynch | IRL | 1:01:15 |
| Patrick Kiprop | KEN | 1:01:19 |
| Aaron Bienenfeld | GER | 1:01:39 |
| Mohamed El Youssfi | MAR | 1:01:47 |
| Kengo Suzuki | JPN | 1:01:53 |
| Haimro Alame | ISR | 1:02:02 |
| William Amponsah | GHA | 1:03:15 |
| Daniel Michalski | USA | 1:03:41 |
| Bran Barraza | USA | 1:04:29 |
| Aaron Gruen | AUT | 1:04:35 |
| Robert Warner-Judd | GBR | 1:04:44 |
| Habtom Samuel | ERI | DEBUT |
| Casey Clinger | USA | DEBUT |
| Isai Rodriguez | USA | DEBUT |
| Graydon Morris | USA | DEBUT |
| Dylan Schubert | USA | DEBUT |
| Merga Gemeda | USA | DEBUT |
| Hunter Christopher | USA | DEBUT |
Key Storylines
Men’s Marathon
The men’s race centers on Zouhair Talbi, who returns to Houston after breaking the course record here last year in 2:06:39. This time, he lines up as a U.S. citizen, giving Houston a legitimate chance at its first American men’s winner since 2002. Talbi’s fall included an 11th-place finish at the Chicago Marathon, and this race should offer a clearer read on whether his breakthrough season carries into another Olympic cycle.
Behind him, the race has continuity. Yemane Haileselassie and Shadrack Kimining, second and third here last year, are both back, with Haileselassie racing just weeks after finishing runner-up at the Honolulu Marathon. Adane Kebede, the 2023 Cape Town Marathon champion, adds another proven sub-2:07 performer to a field that looks more about pace than patience.
Women’s Marathon
The women’s marathon brings together two athletes with long but very different histories in Houston. Biruktayit Degefa, a three-time winner here, returns for the first time since 2022 and has never finished lower than fourth in seven appearances. Calli Hauger-Thackery, meanwhile, arrives less than five weeks after winning the Honolulu Marathon and is using Houston to chase something closer to her 2:21 personal best. How she handles the quick turnaround on a fast course is one of the race’s bigger questions.
Women’s Half Marathon
The women’s half marathon is led by Tsigie Gebreselama, the 12th fastest woman in history over the distance, who arrives after a decisive win at the Lisbon Half Marathon last year. She’ll be pushed by Veronica Loleo, coming off a strong U.S. road season, and Buze Diriba, who has finished third in each of the last two editions of this race. The American contingent is deep, led by reigning national champion Taylor Roe, with Amanda Vestri, Dakotah Popehn, and Erika Kemp also in the mix.
Men’s Half Marathon
The men’s half marathon shapes up as the most open elite race of the weekend. Vincent Ngetich enters as the fastest man in the field at 59:09, but the absence of a clear favorite keeps the race wide open. Veterans like Galen Rupp, now 39, bring experience and race awareness rather than raw speed, while others are using Houston to test new ground.
One of the biggest unknowns is Habtom Samuel, the reigning NCAA cross country champion, who will make his road and half marathon debut. Houston has a history of rewarding athletes willing to race aggressively, and Samuel’s transition from track and cross country adds an element that could shape the race early.
Let’s go!!!