HOUSTON (September 7, 2017) – The Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon have been awarded label status for 2018 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The Chevron Houston Marathon has maintained its IAAF Silver Label Road Race status from 2017 and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon has been elevated to IAAF Gold Label status for exceptional execution of IAAF label criteria at its respective 2017 race.

For more than a decade, the IAAF has been awarding a designation referred to as an IAAF Road Race Label to leading road races around the world. With three different levels – gold, silver and bronze – status is determined on various factors, including the elite field, anti-doping policies, IAAF competition rules, broadcast services and timing.

The IAAF recognition of the Chevron Houston Marathon for 2018 marks the fourth consecutive year as a label status recipient and the second year for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. “Each year we not only strive to produce a world-class running event for our participants but also work diligently to promote and educate our communities on social responsibility, sustainability, health and wellness initiatives and all matters that help advance running. Receiving IAAF label status is a step toward achieving those goals,” said Wade Morehead, Executive Director for the Houston Marathon Committee.

The Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon is one of only two races in the world that holds IAAF Labels in both the marathon and half marathon distances that conducts them on the same race weekend. The Aramco Houston Half Marathon is also the only IAAF Label half marathon in North America, while the Chevron Houston Marathon is one of only four IAAF Label marathons in the U.S – the Boston Marathon, the Chicago Marathon and the New York City Marathon are the other three.

The 2018 running of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will take place on January 14, with the elite field to be announced in the coming months.

For more information on the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.

 

About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.

Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC) is a founding member of Running USA and annually organizes the nation’s premier winter marathon, half-marathon and 5K. Over 250,000 participants, volunteers and spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the largest single-day sporting event in Houston. Recognized by the IAAF, the Gold Label Aramco Houston Half Marathon has held 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships and the Silver Label Chevron Houston Marathon has been the race site for three U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons. For five consecutive years, the events have garnered Gold Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport and were also awarded the 2015 AIMS Green Award for industry-leading sustainability initiatives. Race Weekend generates over $50 million in economic impact for the region annually. In addition to its economic impact, the HMC facilitates social responsibility through its Run for a Reason Charity Program which has raised over $26 million since it’s inception and the Houston Marathon Foundation, which serves the greater Houston area through support of youth and community organizations that promote access to and participation in running. The event is televised annually with 2016 being the first time the race received national and international syndication airing on ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network.

For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call 713.957.3453.