The Houston Marathon Committee is celebrating the start of the 2012 race season this Thursday, September 22 at its annual Run for a Reason Kickoff Party!

Join thousands of Houston-area runners at Memorial Park’s Picnic Lane from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and mix and mingle with Run for a Reason official charities, running clubs and sponsors.

And you don’t have to be a registered runner to enjoy the event – it’s free and open to the public so bring your family and friends!

Here’s what you can expect this Thursday:

Free T-shirts!
The first 2,000 registered marathon, half marathon and 5K runners will receive a free “In Training” T-shirt while supplies last. No confirmation email is needed – just bring your driver’s license. Want to pick up a shirt for your friend who is registered, but can’t make it? No problem. Just bring a signed copy of his or her registration confirmation. “In Training” T-shirts will be posted on our website for purchase on Tuesday, September 27.

Official Under Armour Performance Charity Shirts
Support a great cause and get your official Under Armour performance charity shirt for just $20 with proceeds benefitting Marathon Kids.

Shoe Donations
Bring your old running shoes and donate them to SEARCH Homeless Services, a Run for a Reason official charity. Look for these Waste Management shoe bins at kickoff and receive a goodie from the Houston Marathon for your donation while supplies last.

Houston Texans Cheerleaders
Meet the Houston Texans cheerleaders and learn more about the Running of the Bulls 5K on October 16.

Music from your favorite local stations
Look for Mix 96.5Hot 95.7 and Mega 101 jam vans while browsing more than 75 booths. And rumor has it, Hot’s Sarah Pepper may be making an appearance!

Hassle-free parking with SuperShuttle
SuperShuttle will provide complimentary transportation to the Run for a Reason Kickoff Party from Memorial Park’s Becks Prime and Tennis Courts.

We can’t wait to see everyone and officially kick off the 2012 race season! See you at the park this Thursday!