HOUSTON – The Houston Marathon Committee (HMC) announced on Wednesday that Aramco Services Company (ASC) has renewed its title sponsorship of the annual Aramco Houston Half Marathon road race, extending the partnership through 2017.  The Aramco Houston Half Marathon joins the Chevron Houston Marathon and ABB 5K as the three premier winter races conducted by the HMC every January in downtown Houston.“We at Aramco Services are very pleased to renew our sponsorship of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and to be part of an event that brings so many positive benefits to the community and the city of Houston,” said Ali Al-Mutairi, ASC Public Affairs Director.

The 2014 Aramco Houston Half Marathon will celebrate Aramco Services 10th year as title sponsor, while also playing host to the U.S. Half Marathon Championships. This marks the eighth year that the Aramco Houston Half Marathon has hosted these championships for the men and the sixth year for the women.

It will also debut a new course that will provide a better participant experience for the runners by giving them more space and wider roads to run on. The first eight miles, now populated with local businesses and easier to access through major thoroughfares, will improve the spectator experience as well.

“Aramco Services Company has been steadfast in its commitment to the HMC’s initiatives for the past ten years,” said Steven Karpas, Managing Director of Business Development & Marketing for the HMC. “From community programs to participant experiences to hosting national championships and supporting the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, ASC has been instrumental in the growth of our event footprint. We are thrilled to have them extend this partnership.”

Registration for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon has sold out but guaranteed race entries are still available through the Run for a Reason Charity Program at www.RunforaReasonHouston.com. The race will be conducted in conjunction with the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, January 19 at 7:00 a.m.

Aramco Services Company, headquartered in Houston since 1974, is the U.S.-based subsidiary of the global petroleum and chemicals enterprise Saudi Aramco. ASC conducts a wide range of services to help Saudi Aramco facilitate the safe and reliable delivery of energy to customers around the globe.  Core services include identifying upstream and downstream technologies, best practices and potential technology partners for Saudi Aramco; working with suppliers and vendors to provide Saudi Aramco with goods and services; providing business management to Saudi Aramco project teams operating in North America; conducting quality inspections for materials and equipment procured for Saudi Aramco; and recruiting professionals for careers in Saudi Arabia.  For more information, visit www.aramcoservices.com.

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), a Running USA Founding Member, 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.  Race Weekend generates over $50 million in economic impact for the region annually.  In 2013, the Run For a Reason Charity Program raised $2.2 million and the HMC garnered Gold Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport for industry-leading sustainability initiatives.  Host to 12 U.S. Half Marathon Championships since 2005 and the 1992 women’s Olympic Trials Marathon, HMC conducted the nationally-televised 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which featured men and women competing on the same course simultaneously for the first time, vying for the chance to represent Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games.For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com   or call 713.957.3453.