Local Elites
Become a Local Elite for the 2022 Events
Local Elite status and invitation to the 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon are awarded to the first* local finisher per category meeting the minimum qualifying standards (see table below) in the 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon AND each of the selected 2021 Local Qualifying races indicated below.
The following rules apply:
- Only one person in each category will be invited to the 2022 Local Elite Program
- Only the events listed in the qualifying standards will be used for local elite qualification
- Virtual races will not be considered eligible for local elite qualification
- Qualified local elite runners may register for the 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon
- In the event that the first local finisher in a category has already qualified and been invited in a previous event, the invitation will be extended to the next local finisher in the same category who meets the minimum qualifying standards
- Age group qualification is determined by the athlete’s age on race day at the race they are competing in to qualify for the 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon. (e.g. If you are using the Space City 10 Miler to qualify, your qualifying time is based on your age on race day for the Space City 10 Miler)
For more information on local elite/invited runners, please email elite@houstonmarathon.com.
* First place is determined by gun time at finish of each qualifying race.
2022 Local Elite Qualifiers
Congratulations to our 2020/2021 Local Elite Finishers!
Below is the list of local athletes who have qualified at the 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon, 2021 Space City 10 Miler, 2021 Houston Half Marathon Presented by Houston Striders, 2021 HMSA Classical 25K and 2021 Fort Bend Kia 30K and are eligible to compete in the Local Elite program in the 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
| 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Gabe Cuadra | Starla Garcia |
| 40 | Chris Stelzer | Sarah Cherington |
| 50 | Todd Merchant | Peggy Yetman |
| 60 | Joe Killeen | Pam Butler |
| 70 | – | – |
| Other Local Invited Runners | Men | Women |
| Most Houston Marathon Finishes | Jack Lippincott | Maria Camacho |
| 2003 Houston Marathon Men’s Open Winner | Sean Wade | – |
| 2002 Houston Marathon Men’s Open Winner | Drew Prisner | – |
| Space City 10 Miler | Men | Women |
| Open | ||
| 40 | ||
| 50 | ||
| 60 | ||
| 70 | ||
| Koala Health & Fitness Houston Half Marathon |
Men | Women |
| Open | ||
| 40 | ||
| 50 | ||
| 60 | ||
| 70 | ||
| HMSA Classical 25K | Men | Women |
| Open | ||
| 40 | ||
| 50 | ||
| 60 | ||
| 70 | ||
| Fort Bend Kia 30K | Men | Women |
| Open | ||
| 40 | ||
| 50 | ||
| 60 | ||
| 70 |
Who is a Local Elite?
To be considered eligible as a “local” for the Local Elite Program, you must be able to prove permanent residence in one of the following 19 counties from the period beginning January 19, 2021 through race day January 16, 2022: Austin; Brazoria; Chambers; Fort Bend; Galveston; Grimes; Hardin; Harris; Jefferson; Liberty; Matagorda; Montgomery; Orange; Polk; San Jacinto; Walker; Waller; Washington; and Wharton.
Minimum Times Standard for Local Elite Qualifying Races
First finisher in each category must run the minimum time standard indicated in the table below.
| Qualifying Races |
Chevron Houston Marathon |
Space City 10 Miler |
Houston Half Marathon Presented by Houston Striders |
HMSA Classical 25K |
Fort Bend Kia 30K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/2021 Dates | 01/19/2020 | TBD | 10/24/2021 | TBD | 12/10/2021 |
| Female Open | 3:05:30 | 1:08:04 | 1:30:11 | 1:47:35 | 2:10:03 |
| F40 | 3:15:25 | 1:10:19 | 1:33:10 | 1:51:30 | 2:15:23 |
| F50 | 3:40:19 | 1:17:06 | 1:41:09 | 2:03:16 | 2:30:51 |
| F60 | 4:13:05 | 1:27:57 | 1:56:33 | 2:20:51 | 2:52:40 |
| F70 | 4:57:17 | 1:42:22 | 2:15:40 | 2:44:18 | 3:21:54 |
| Male Open | 2:44:22 | 0:58:24 | 1:17:55 | 1:33:23 | 1:53:34 |
| M40 | 2:48:25 | 1:01:12 | 1:21:10 | 1:36:56 | 1:57:21 |
| M50 | 3:03:31 | 1:06:19 | 1:28:06 | 1:45:18 | 2:07:38 |
| M60 | 3:21:33 | 1:12:22 | 1:36:19 | 1:55:14 | 2:19:52 |
| M70 | 3:43:32 | 1:19:42 | 1:46:15 | 2:07:18 | 2:34:42 |
Click here to visit the warm-up series race page and learn more about these events. Qualifiers will be notified within 2 weeks following the qualifying event.
2022 Local Athlete Prize Money – TBD
Local Athlete Prize Money awards are given to top local finishers in the following categories for both the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Prize Money is generally mailed 6 – 8 weeks following the events to the registered address on file for the respective winners.