RUNNERS TO WATCH
CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON
Men’s record: Tariku Jufar, Ethiopia, 2 hours, 6 minutes, 51 seconds, set in 2012; women’s record: Keira D’Amato, U.S., 2:19:12, set in 2022.
FORMER CHAMPIONS
Dominic Ondoro, Kenya
In 2023, he crossed barely a second ahead of Ethiopia’s Tsedat Ayana, one of the most dramatic finishes in race history. Ayana returns seeking revenge, while Ondoro will be chasing his third Houston victory, having also won in 2017.
James Ngandu, Kenya
He fought his way to the front over the final two miles in 2022 to win his debut marathon. He bested Abdi Abdo by only three seconds.
Bruktayit Degefa, Ethiopia
She returns seeking a Houston record fourth victory after winning in 2016, 2018 and 2019. With two second-place finishes, a third and a fourth, she’s arguably the most accomplished runner in the Houston event’s 52-year history. She also owns the fastest personal best in the 2023 field, with a 2:21:24.
TOP AMERICANS
CJ Albertson
The world record-holder in the 50K, a mark he set in 2022, had gained the most notoriety by leading the 2021 Boston Marathon for 20 miles before fading to 10th with a time of 2:11:44.
Parker Stinson
The Austin native holds the U.S. record in the 25K and made his Texas homecoming a huge success last January by finishing fourth in the marathon with a 2:12: 11.
Maegan Krifchin
She ran three marathons in four weeks in the fall, finishing with a personal best 2:29:21 in the final one.
ARAMCO HALF MARATHON
Men’s record: Feyisa Lilesa, Ethiopia, 59:22 set in 2012; women’s record: Vicoty Chepngeno, Kenya, 1:05:03, set in 2022.
FORMER CHAMPIONS
Sara Hall, U.S.
In her last ppearance here in 2022, she set both American and North American records en route to a first-place finish, 15 years after her husband, Ryan Hall, set a half-marathon record — 59:43 — that still stands. Last spring, a day after turning 40, she finished the Boston Marathon in 2:25:48, the fastest time by an American Masters runner.
Molly Huddle, U.S.
Until Hall’s triumph two years ago, she held the American record with a winning time of 1:07:25 in Houston in 2018.
Shura Kitata, Ethiopia
The 2019 Aramco Half Marathon winner, who is entered in Houston for the fourth time, owns career marathon victories in London, Frankfurt and Rome.
TOP AMERICANS
Galen Rupp
Arguably the best U.S.-born distance runner of the 21st century, he’s making his Houston debut in preparation for next month’s Olympic Trials. He’s seeking his fifth start in an Olympic marathon. Conner Mantz
The 2020 and 2021 NCAA Cross Country Champion at BYU, he ran the fastest debut marathon by an American runner with a 2:08:16 in Chicago last fall. Emily Sisson
Houston will be her first race since she won the Chicago Marathon in October with an American-best 2:18:19, breaking Keira D’Amato’s old record by 43 seconds. Earlier in 2023, in Indianapolis, she shaved four seconds off Sara Hall’s American half-marathon record with a 1:07:11.
Dale Robertson