Habtom Samuel made Houston his playground for a sensational road and half-marathon debut at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon on Sunday, running 59:01 to claim victory and set a course record to really seal the deal.
The Eritrean runner, who won the NCAA cross country title with the University of New Mexico last fall, broke clear late to secure the win after much of the race unfolded as a tightly packed battle at the front. His time takes one second off the previous course record and is one of the fastest half marathon debuts ever recorded.
For much of the middle miles of the race, Kenya’s Patrick Kiprop set the tone. Kiprop opened up a gap of roughly eight to nine seconds over a lead group of eight, with Samuel sitting just off the back as the field passed through the later stages.
The decisive move came in the final kilometres. Samuel closed the gap quickly, moved past Kiprop in the closing stretch, and continued to press to the line, finishing 13 seconds clear.
Kiprop held on for second in 59:14, with Morocco’s Mohammed El Yousfi third in 59:21.
Behind them, American Alex Maier produced a standout run to finish fourth in 59:23, the fastest performance by a U.S. runner on the day and just shy of the American half marathon record. Maier led a strong domestic showing that saw multiple athletes finish under the one-hour mark on the fast Houston course.
Samuel’s performance adds another high-profile result to a rapid rise that has unfolded largely on the track and cross country circuit until now. Sunday’s race was his first shot at the half marathon, and his time immediately places him among the leading road runners in the world early in the 2026 season.
Aramco Houston Half Marathon Men’s Top 10:
- Habtom Samuel (ERI) 59:01
- Patrick Kiprop (KEN) 59:14
- Mohammed EL Youssfi (MAR) 59:21
- Alex Maier (USA) 59:23
- Casey Clinger (USA) 59:34
- Ryan Ford (USA) 59:48
- Rory Linkletter (CAN) 59:49
- Isai Rodriguez (USA) 59:58
- Hillary Bor (USA) 1:00:04
- Vincent Ngetich (KEN) 1:00:29
