Local Elites
Become a Local Elite for the 2021 Events
Local Elite status and invitation to the 2021 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon is awarded to the first* local finisher per category meeting the minimum qualifying standards (as shown in the table below) in the 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon AND each of the 2020 selected Local Qualifying races indicated below.
The following rules apply:
- Only one person in each category will be invited to the 2021 Local Elite Program.
- Only the events shown listed in the qualifying standards will be used for local elite qualification.
- Qualified local elite runners may register for the 2021 Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
- In the event that the first local finisher in a category has already been invited in a previous event, the honor will roll down 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 running to qualify for the 2021 Chevron Houston Marathon. (i.e. 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, contact elite@houstonmarathon.com
* First place is determined by gun time at finish of each qualifying race.
2021 Local Elite Qualifiers
Congratulations to our 2020 Local Elite Finishers!
Below is the list of local athletes that have qualified at the 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon, 2020 Space City 10 Miler, 2020 Houston Half Marathon Presented by Houston Striders, 2020 HMSA Classical 25K and 2020 Fort Bend Kia 30K and are eligible to compete as in the Local Elite program in the 2021 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, 2020 through race day January 17, 2021: 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.
| Qualifying Races |
Chevron Houston Marathon |
Space City 10 Miler |
Houston Half Marathon Presented by Houston Striders |
HMSA Classical 25K |
Fort Bend Kia 30K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Dates | 01/19/2020 | 10/TBD/2020 | 10/25/2020 | 12/TBD/2020 | 12/13/2020 |
| 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.
2021 Local Athlete Prize Money
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.
Marathon
| Place | Men’s & Women’s Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1 | $500 |
| 2 | $350 |
| 3 | $150 |
| Top Masters | Men’s & Women’s Prize Money |
| 40-49 | $250 |
| 50-59 | $125 |
| 60-69 | $125 |
| 70-79 | $125 |
Place and prize money determined by gun time.
Half Marathon
| Place | Men’s & Women’s Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1 | $250 |
| 2 | $150 |
| 3 | $100 |
| Top Masters | Men’s & Women’s Prize Money |
| 40-49 | $150 |
| 50-59 | $75 |
| 60-69 | $75 |
| 70-79 | $75 |
Place and prize money determined by gun time.