Alex Rudd
Media Relations Department
Houston Marathon Committee
(425) 891- 4986
arudd@houstonmarathon.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 31, 2025
Talbi, Thackery Headline Elite Fields for Chevron Houston Marathon
Athletes Prepare for Houston’s Upcoming 54th Annual Race
HOUSTON, TX – Zouhair Talbi will return to the Chevron Houston Marathon in January for an attempt to better his course record and claim his second victory; his first as a U.S. citizen. Meanwhile, the women’s field will feature one of Europe’s most exciting marathoners, Calli Hauger-Thackery, just five weeks after she won the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii.
Talbi, who won the 2024 Houston Marathon with a course record time of 2:06:39, became an American citizen in March of 2025 after enlisting in the Army reserve. He has lived in the United States since 2019 when he came here to attend college, first at Northwest Kansas Technical College, then at Oklahoma City University where he won four NAIA titles. Talbi hopes to represent his new country in the marathon at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He represented his native Morocco at the 2024 Paris Games, just months after his success in Houston.
“Winning the Houston Marathon in 2024 truly changed my life and marked a major turning point in my career,” said Talbi, who is based in Colorado Springs. “That race gave me confidence, opened new opportunities, and showed me what was possible after years of hard work. Coming back to this race now as a U.S. citizen makes it even more meaningful, and it’s something I’m genuinely proud of as I return to the city that played such an important role in my journey.”
Talbi’s last marathon was a 2:07:27, 11th place finish at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. The 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon will be a family affair for Talbi. His wife, Elizabeth, will run in the women’s field. Their son, Amir, turns one in March.
Hauger-Thackery intended to run the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2025. But illness just days before the race derailed her plans. She still made the trip to Houston and served as a pacer for the 2:23 group. This year, she wants to go the whole way, despite finishing and winning the Honolulu Marathon on December 14. There, Hauger-Thackery braved wet and humid conditions to win in 2:30:43. In Houston, she hopes to see a time closer to her personal best of 2:21:24, the second fastest time in British history.
“I’ve had my sights set on doing the full 26.2 for a while now —this year feels like the perfect fit,” said Hauger-Thackery, who finished 7th in the 2024 Aramco Houston Half Marathon. “I cannot wait to roll the dice and go for a fast time. Knowing that American records have been broken there in previous years excites me a lot. I know it has the potential to be fast!”
Like Talbi, Hauger-Thackery competed in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last summer, she finished 11th in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“We are thrilled to welcome Calli and Zouhair back to Houston,” said Carly Caulfield, Race Director of the Houston Marathon Committee. “Both know what it takes to compete and run well here and having them in the field ensures we will see an exciting race on January 11.”
Full elite fields for the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be announced later this week. The races will be held in downtown Houston on January 11 and will welcome 30,000 participants. For more details visit chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
Interview/Photo Requests: Please contact Alex Rudd via email at media@houstonmarathon.com to make specific interview and photography requests.
About Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC) – Founded in 1972, the HMC is a founding member of Running USA and organizes the nation’s premier winter marathon, half marathon, and 5K hosting over 300,000 participants, volunteers, and spectators on race day. Recognized by World Athletics as Gold Label long-distance running events, the Chevron Houston Marathon has hosted the 1992 Women’s and the 2012 Men’s and Women’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons, while the Gold Label Aramco Houston Half Marathon has hosted 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships. The HMC also received Gold Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport from 2011 to 2020 and garnered the 2015 AIMS Green Award for industry-leading sustainability initiatives. Race weekend generates over $50+ million in economic impact for the region annually and has raised nearly $41 million through the Run for a Reason Charity Program since its inception in 1995. The event is broadcast and streamed Live on ABC13, ESPN+ and Disney + (with Disney Bundle Trio).
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