As another holiday season drew to a close and January came around, I knew it was time to embark upon another Houston Marathon. This being my 9th consecutive Houston race, I knew what to expect. It is pretty much the same every year, which is a great thing. Flat course with some scenic parts sprinkled throughout, pretty good crowds, great organization, and nice goodies. The weather cooperated marvelously yet again. Course support from police was phenomenal and aid stations were stocked with fluids EVERY time. This was a big-city marathon, but it was organized flawlessly. I look forward to 2009 when I will run my 10th Houston race. To everyone out there: Spread the word about Houston and what a great race it is. See you next year!!!

A well-designed and time-tested course, top-notch organization and volunteers, and optimal weather conditions made the 2008 Chevron Houston Marathon a truly world-class event.

I must first commend the race organizers. Their reputation was tested when they made the tough decision to not use the new RFID tags in favor of the proven ChampionChip system. This may have been more costly, but showed their dedication to making this a great event.

One welcome change that was the introduction of a wave start - separating the field into two groups ten minutes apart. I was in the front wave/corral this year (for the first time) and found it very easy to access and start.

As always, the volunteer support at the fluid and aid stations was excellent, and I had no issues with bottlenecking or inadequate fluids.

The spectators were really out in force this year and were very enthusiastic.

Participant awards (t-shirt, medal, glass mug and Under Armour finishers shirt) were very good, especially the medal.

The only caveat I can offer runners considering Houston is to ignore any elevation charts you see. The course is relatively flat with a net zero elevation change, but the Westpark overpass and the rollers on Memorial and Allen Parkway are more significant than current charts show. I hope someone seriously re-plots the elevation in the future.

Speaking of... early registration for the 2009 Houston Marathon (Jan 11) is open until January 31st! Better get signed up!

The course - ok, it's kinda scenic, but not really. the run through Memorial Park and the galleria area is nice, but for the most part, the race goes through residential areas. However, it's truly one of the fastest in the country. Chicago may be faster, but as we learned from the '07 race, it's best to run a winter marathon in a southern state to guarantee cool weather. The course is almost entirely flat, but there is one overpass at mile 14, and some underpasses in the last few miles. The Foot Traffic Flat in Portland, OR is another good option and is flatter, but it is in July, so Houston really is the best opportunity for a PR. I certainly did... a 3:09 and qualified for Boston.

Organization - usually it's not that big of a factor for me, but Houston truly is amazing in this category. The start line is right by the convention center (where the expo is also held), so you can stay warm until you decide to go outside. Tons of port-a-potties. Plenty of water/Gatorade. Very visible mile markers. The weigh-in before and after is helpful to know whether you hydrated properly. Hot food at the end (eggs, sausage, bagels). Massages by like 60+ trained volunteers, which was freakin' awesome. The race ends at the convention center too, so you're warm and can sit down with a hot meal, view unofficial results that are posted on a rolling basis, and meet up with family members in a designated section organized by last name of the runner. I could keep going....

Spectators - the race had a decent number of spectators, but it's nowhere near a major city. It's not a Chicago, by any means. Also, the fans were kinda quiet...my pace leader kept angrily yelling at them and raising his hands in the air to get them to cheer - "C'mon people!! These runners trained their asses off!!" It was pretty funny.

I would definitely recommend this race to a first-timer. It's not that huge of an event, so you can comfortably run even in the first few miles. It's so well-organized, super fast and flat. I'd also suggest it to someone trying to BQ or PR.

As usual, Houston was top-notch! I love the crowds along the way and the diversity of the route. I've run Marine Corps, but Houston has it beat, with enthusiastic fans, great and frequent water stops, and top-notch organization. I ran with a 4:00 pace group and we started at the very front line of the second wave. My first mile was spot on as a result, and I loved it. We only caught up with the back of the first group at mile 7 or so. Great organization. I can't wait to come back next year!

This was my first marathon after I was not able to finish in Chicago due to the race organizers stopping the race. I am a slower runner but I found the aid stations stocked and spectators still out there even when our pace group came through. The course was diverse and relatively flat with a few slight climbs at "overpasses" - but not too bad. I started to develop shin problems around mile 20 and I ended up having to walk the last 4 miles. I was still able to get my finisher's t-shirt, mug and medal even though I didn't finish within the official 6-hour time limit. I'm just not in the official results. But as John Bingham, says "Finish the marathon the same day you start it." That I did.

For the person below who said there were too many walkers and referred to "those annoying Team in Training groups," how disappointing. Please note the Houston Marathon does not discourage walkers. More importantly, TNT and other charitable groups do a lot of good. I don't believe any charitable group who is trying to do some good for others is "annoying." Except for the person that made the comment, the marathon was great!

Everything was great.... Here are some highlights:
technical finisher's shirt, cotton registration shirt, and amazing post-race food court - eggs, sausage, 6 flavors of bagels, 6 flavors of pound cake, cookies, bananas that were not rock solid and green (like most races), friendly volunteers, beautiful view of skyline as you come back into the city, early 7 a.m. start to avoid heat, well maintained water stops, race started on time... EVERYTHING was great! Keep it up! Aaaand DON'T ALLOW MORE RUNNERS UNLESS YOU GET MORE VOLUNTEERS AND COORDINATE ANOTHER WAVE START!

I remember running this race back in 1997 when it was about a 3,000 - 4,000-person event, with a small 5K companion fun run. Now it is a 20,000-person event. But, it is still wonderful event. For me, the convention center is just great to have. You can get there a couple of hours before the race, enjoy church, and stay warm and hydrated. After the race you go right back to the convention center to enjoy breakfast and change into dry clothes. The organization of the race is also great. With the growing numbers, having the wave start made this big event feel like you had a lot of elbow room on the course. The water/Gatorade stations were well manned and stocked. Lots of porta-johns on the race route. Flat course with only a couple of bumps at the end. January weather in Houston is usually good to excellent. Highly recommend for the first-timer, or anyone trying for a PR.

This was my first marathon. I loved it. The organization was fantastic, course was great, and the fans kept you motivated. The highlight was getting to meet George H. and Barbara Bush. I will be back next year.

What a great race experience. So much better than last year, which was my first. The wave start really improved the congestion the first few miles. The 3:30 pacer did a superb job, averaging about 7:55 miles through the first 20, with 20 of steps walking at each water stop. He should be commended. I cramped at 24 and was not able to finish with the pace group, but the two-minute advantage built up more than allowed me to get under my BQ of 3:35 with a 3:32:46 time. Props to him.

Organization was great. I really like the finisher's shirt. I highly recommend the Four Seasons. Only two blocks from the convention and the friendliest staff I've ever seen.

This was only my third marathon. The crowds are so much better than San Antonio, my second. The only reason I gave them a four was because last year's crowds seemed so much larger.

An overall great race. I'm going to Boston!

There's no comparison to the Houston Marathon. It's the best of all Texas marathons (Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, etc.) I've run them all, but Houston tops them all. It's the most organized, and has a great course, great volunteers, and the best crowd you can ever find. It almost looks like all Houstonians came to support and cheer the runners.

It was the best experience and it's just getting better and better. Well done, Houston!!