Huge Turn-out for 2012-2013 Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Kick-Off

For those who regularly make the trek out to run at Memorial Park on Saturday mornings, there was a bonus this weekend.  Beginning at 7:00 am on Saturday, June 30^th, the annual Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Kick-Off Party took place in Memorial Park. An event conducted in the past on Thursday evenings in September, Kick-Off attracted thousands of visitors on its new day and time enabling more people to flock to the park who might otherwise still be at the office.  The fun was scheduled to last until 11:00 am, but unfortunately the combination of lightning in the area and ominous weather reports required tear-down and load-out to begin at about 10:15 am. The new event location was also received quite favorably.  Moving from its traditional location west of the softball fields, this year the event was conducted in a high-profile area for runners and park visitors at the south-side entrance, east of the volleyball courts.  The high visibility location on Memorial Drive attracted those who may not have been aware of the new changes. Prior to the start of Kickoff, over 300 runners already formed a line to pick up their free In-Training shirts. The shirts were in such high demand, all 2,000 were given away in 75 minutes. Other official merchandise available at the event included Under Armour Run for a Reason shirts that were sold for $20 apiece with all proceeds going towards the charitable program.