Aramco Houston Half Marathon to host USA Half Marathon Championships

HOUSTON (January 7, 2015) – The 43rd edition of the Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend features stacked fields in both the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, which plays host to the USA Half Marathon Championships. Race-day for the 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon is Sunday, January 18.

“Three of our four 2014 champions are returning in 2015, although one has switched from the half marathon to the marathon,” said Chevron Houston Marathon Race Director Brant Kotch. “Our professional fields for the marathon are particularly well-stocked with runners who have had promising debuts and other quality results, and we think they’re ready to step up and deliver some really stellar performances on our stage. The fields in the USA Half Marathon Championships are deeper than ever, even with intentionally heightened entry standards. We think everyone is ready to put on a first-class show.”

Two-time defending champion Bazu Worku of Ethiopia, who set a personal best 2:05:25 when he finished third at the 2010 Paris Marathon, leads the field in the men’s Chevron Houston Marathon. Out to challenge him on race day will be 2012 Chevron Houston Marathon runner-up Debebe Tolossa. 2014 USA Half Marathon Championships runner-up Aaron Braun and Craig Leon are the top American entrants in the field.

In the women’s race, Ethiopian Fatuma Sado leads the way. Sado set her personal best 2:25:39 in 2012 when she won the LA Marathon. Biruktait Degefa will look to improve upon her personal best of 2:26:22 that she set in Houston last year when she finished fourth. The top American in the field is Serena Burla who returns to Houston after winning the 2014 USA Half Marathon Championships. Kellyn Johnson will make her marathon debut after setting a person best 1:11:50 in winning the St. Louis Half Marathon.

2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon champion and 2014 Boston Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi returns to Houston looking to win his third national half marathon title after winning his second here in Houston last year. Josphat Boit and Shadrack Biwott, third and seventh last year respectively, return to Houston hoping to improve upon their results. Also in the field are Matthew Llano, who ran a personal best 1:01:47 in finishing fifth last year, and Gabe Proctor.

Janet Bawcom, the fifth-place finisher at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, leads the field in the women’s USA Half Marathon Championships, held in conjunction with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, while 2006 USA Half Marathon Champion Annie Bersagel hopes to win her second national crown. Bersagel recently set her personal best of 1:10:10 when she finished 13th at the World Half Marathon Championships. 2014 USA Half Marathon Championships runner-up Lauren Kleppin also returns, along with 2014 Dallas Half Marathon champion Sara Hall. 2014 USA Outdoor 10,000m champion Kim Conley and Houston athlete and former Rice University four-time NCAA Division I All-American Becky Wade also are entered.

Men’s Marathon
Bazu Worku (Ethiopia)
Debebe Tolossa (Ethiopia)
Silah Limo (Kenya)
Gadisa Shumie (Ethiopia)
Dominic Ondoro (Kenya)
Erick Mose (Kenya)
Birhanu Degefa (Ethiopia)
Lema Tola (Ethiopia)
Craig Leon (USA)
Aaron Braun (USA)
Ahmed Osman (USA)
Jesse Davis (USA)
Jonathan Mott (USA)
Simon Stuetzel (Germany)
Javier Ceja (USA)
Michael Wardian (USA)
Bennett Grimes (USA)
Tony Migliozzi (USA)

Women’s Marathon
Fatuma Sado (Ethiopia)
Biruktait Degefa (Ethiopia)
Guteni Imana (Ethiopia)
Yebrgual Arage (Ethiopia)
Sechale Dalasa (Ethiopia)
Misiker Demissie (Ethiopia)
Serena Burla (USA)
Kellyn Taylor (USA)
Goitetom Haftu (Ethiopia)
Lindsay Flanagan (USA)
Lingling Jin (China)
Nicole Camp (USA)
Danielle Miller (USA)
Meghan Roth (USA)
Catherine Watkins (CAN)

Men’s Half Marathon
Meb Keflezighi
Shadrack Biwott
Josphat Boit
Gabe Proctor
Matthew  Llano
Jeffrey Eggleston
Ian Burrell
Daniel Tapia
Brett Gotcher
Jared Ward
Patrick Rizzo
Jeremy Acosta
Eric Ashe
James Atkins
Brock Baker
Brandon Bauer
Chris Bendtsen
Sean Brown
Gian-Paul Caccia
Jared Carson
John Crain
Craig Curley
Kiya Dandena
Josh Dedering
Andrew Epperson
Diego Estrada
Scott Fauble
Matthew Fecht
Eric Finan
Brian Flynn
Ricky Flynn
Andrew Foxenberg
David Fuentes
Patrick Geoghan
Robert Gibson
Robert Given
Thomas Graham
Griffith Graves
Brett Hales
Jonas Hampton
Brian Harvey
Matt Hensley
Nicholas Hilton
Jason Holt
Cheyne Inman
Connor Kamm
Paul Katam
Tommy Kauffmann
James Kelly
Sean Keveren
Ryan Kienzle
Dan Kremske
Jacob Krolick
Gregory Leak
Jarrett Leblanc
Hayden Legg
Eric Loeffler
Scott MacPherson
Augustus Maiyo
Cameron Marantz
Girma Mecheso
Mario Mendoza
Robert Molke
Joe Moore
Tyler Mueller
Samuel Mueller
Matthew O’Connor
Kieran O’Connor
Zachary Ornelas
Ben Payne
Jonathan Peterson
Seth Proctor
Malcolm Richards
Austin Richmond
Aron Rono
David Saunders
Jeff See
Ethan Shaw
Rex Shields
Laban Sialo
Jacob Sienko
Christopher Sloane
Collin Smith
Andrew Wacker
Jeff Weiss
Josh Whitehead
Brandon York
Thomas Young
Benjamin Zywicki

Women’s Half Marathon
Janet Bawcom
Annie Bersagel
Lauren Kleppin
Lindsey Scherf
Sara Hall
Alisha Williams
Mattie Suver
Clara Santucci
Sarah Crouch
Becky Wade
Kim Conley
Katie Matthews
Juliet Bottorff
Jennifer Bergman
Jenna Boren DeNucci
Erica Braswell
Liz Camy
Heather Cappello
Sarah Cummings
Katie DiCamillo
Andrea Duke
Katie Edwards
Kara Foster
Rachel Gioscia-Ryan
Lauren Jimison
Juliane Masciana
Allison Maxson
Samantha McClellan
Allison Mendez
Olivia Mickle
Ingrid Mollenkopf
Allison Morgan
Aubrey Moskal
Brianne Nelson
Elizabeth Northern
Sarah Pagano
Kate Papenberg
Sarah Pease
Meghan Peyton
Chelsea Reilly
Karen Roa
Jodie Robertson
Lauren Smith
Susanna Sullivan
Kristin Swisher
Semehar Tesfaye
Kelly Williamson

For complete information on the 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon and USA Half Marathon Championships, please visit https://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/.

Brock BAKER
Brandon BAUER
Chris BENDTSEN
Sean BROWN
Gian-Paul CACCIA
Jared CARSON
John CRAIN
Craig CURLEY
Kiya DANDENA
Josh DEDERING
Andrew EPPERSON
Diego ESTRADA
Scott FAUBLE
Matthew FECHT
Eric FINAN
Brian FLYNN
Ricky FLYNN
Andrew FOXENBERG
David FUENTES
Patrick GEOGHEGAN
Robert GIBSON
Robert GIVEN
Thomas GRAHAM
Griffith GRAVES
Joseph GRAY
Brett HALES
Jonas HAMPTON
Brian HARVEY
Matt HENSLEY
Nicholas HILTON
Jason HOLT
Cheyne INMAN
Connor KAMM
Paul KATAM
Tommy KAUFFMANN
James KELLY
Sean KEVEREN
Ryan KIENZLE
Dan KREMSKE
Jacob KROLICK
Gregory LEAK
Jarrett LEBLANC
Hayden LEGG
Eric LOEFFLER
Scott MACPHERSON
Augustus MAIYO
Cameron MARANTZ
Girma MECHESO
Mario MENDOZA
Tony MIGLIOZZI
Robert MOLKE
Joe MOORE
Tyler MUELLER
Samuel MUELLER
Matthew O’CONNOR
Kieran O’CONNOR
Zachary ORNELAS
Ben PAYNE
Jonathan PETERSON
Seth PROCTOR
Malcolm RICHARDS
Austin RICHMOND
Aron RONO
David SAUNDERS
Jeff SEE
Ethan SHAW
Rex SHIELDS
Laban SIALO
Jacob SIENKO
Christopher SLOANE
Collin SMITH
Matthew SONNENFELDT
Max STORMS
Andrew WACKER
Jeff WEISS
Josh WHITEHEAD
Brandon YORK
Thomas YOUNG
Tim YOUNG
Benjamin ZYWICKI