by Alfonz Juck
Keflezighi, Rupp, Pennel, photo by PhotoRun.net
HOUSTON (USA): The 45th edition of the Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend features stacked fields in both the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. The 2016 Olympic marathon silver and bronze medalists, Feyisa Lilesa and Galen Rupp, respectively, and the women’s Olympic marathon bronze medalist Mare Dibaba, lead the fields in the Aramco Houston Half Marathon with a total of 13 Rio Olympians entered in the two races. Race-day for the 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon is Sunday, January 15. Two-time Chevron Houston Marathon champion Bazu Worku will drop down in distance to race in the men’s half marathon. Yigrem Demelash of Ethiopia, the fourth-place finisher in Rio over 10,000m who owns a half marathon personal best of 59:48; 2016 Aramco Houston Half Marathon third-place finisher Samsom Gebreyohannes of Eritrea; and 2016 U.S. 10,000m Olympian Leonard Korir, who won the 2016 NYC Half Marathon, are all also entered. Kenyan Mary Wacera, the 2016 Aramco Houston Half Marathon champion, is the top contender in the women’s half marathon. Sara Hall is the top American in the field and compatriot Jordan Hasay will be making her half marathon debut.
RunBlogRun opines: Galen Rupp will be racing the Aramco Houston Half Marathon! It will be a great test for Galen as he builds to Boston 2017. In speaking with Galen on November 20, Galen noted he would run the Manchester Thanksiviging Day race. So, that was his one race since the Olympics and now this. In November, Galen seemed relaxed and enjoying the recent birth of he and his wife’s third child (Jaden). Galen Rupp is not a social media kind of guy. And, there is absolutley nothing wrong with it. He runs, he lets his racing do the talking, and for Galen Rupp, that is all good. See you in Houston, Galen, and good luck!
