Chevron Houston Marathon - Race Reviews

If you think Houston is hot, 2025 race gives you a reason to think again. Starting temperature for 2025 Houston marathon was 32 degrees and finished at 40. It was cold. It was also cold the previous weekend. Aside from chilly day, which made the race fairly well tolerable, Chevron Houston Marathon went on smoothly. The Expos was easy in picking up and enough vendors for running necessities. Pre race wait in GRB was well planned, with lots of portapotty and plenty of drinks. Race felt safe with lots of hard working police and sheriffs as well as lots of first aide station and more than enough hydration station and Gu stations. Post race festivities including warm breakfast, ice cream, chocolate milk and coffee and hot cocoa. I love how accurate miles markers are. This is a well planned and executed events. Planning to be back again.

This was a beautiful day for marathon, and what is better than a well organized race on a sunny 40-50 degree slightly breezy day. Unlike hot weather last year, this race is similar to 2006 when everyone I knew PR. Houston Marathon is a very well organized event and the largest annual sporting event in Houston. Have ran many other marathons, I think Houston organization is the best, starting from registration to regular update to Expos to the race day. Expos this year is very well organized, from BIB pickup to getting your goody bag that has a large race logo towel to vendor that include Chevron printing shirts and Amaco handing out much needed gloves and bells. It also coincide Saturday morning with the 5K race, so runner can get a medal for 5K and 2 more for finishing either 13.1 or 26.2 next day. Pre-race events in GRB Convention center include more than enough portent as well as efficiently laid out bag drop off, church service, and snack for purchase. Corral system work great, 10 minutes on the dot and very precise. My favorite part of waiting? There is a set of outdoor men's urinal near the starting line, so we can take care of business quickly, 4 guys at a time. Sorry, ladies. Course run through various part of central and west Houston, good sceneries and lots of water station, 2 Gu stations, and a beer station, not mention the much appreciated crowds come and cheer you on and handing out snacks. The only complaint I have is at mile 21, while going though Memorial Park runner, someone with 3 speakers system seems to turned it up too loud. Not for my taste or ear buds after running all that time and having run another couple of minutes to get out of tunnel. Finishing line is great, they hand you, in the order, Bananas, Water, Chocolate Milk, then medal. Good priority! Post race including picking up the finishers shirt and the mug as well as snack from beloved local grocer HEB - but they ran out of ice cream! Warm food line include egg, biscuit and gravy, sausage, and pancake, and they are Texas size portion, complement with soda, more chocolate mild, coffee, or hot chocolate. Love Houston marathon. This is my number 23. 2 more and I get a free marathon. Not too bad for loyalty reward. I highly recommend this race, both for beginners and also season veterans who want nice fairly flat race

I ran this race because I had heard the course was flat and fast. There is a tiny climb up an overpass around mile 12 and some very small rolling hills around mile 20-23, but otherwise, it's a great PR course. The race starts and finishes about a block from the convention center which is where you can hang out before and after the race. This is also where you pick up your packet so it's very convenient. There are plenty of hotels very close to the finish line as well. The previous years, it was perfect marathon weather. This year unfortunately it was very humid and it really slowed the times down. The race shirt was just ok. I was hoping for some rockets or something fun. I hate shirts that say finisher on it as well. The finisher medal was just ok. Pros- You don't get your race shirt until you finish so you actually have to earn it. Flat fast course Easy packet pickup close to the race hotels Breakfast and ice cream with good snacks after the race. You also get a nice mug with your finisher shirt Cons- Some pot holes on the course and other than some nice neighborhoods here and there, Houston is not a very scenic town. The hotels and race start and finish are all close to each other, but the area of town is junky. The race breakfast wasn't very good. It was nice to have food, but it was not good

I just finished 2023 Houston marathon. Unlike last few years, this year was a bit warm and muggy. The race would have been perfect if it took place yesterday or Friday, when it was 36-45's in the morning and stayed in 50-low 60's. But as Texas weather has it, it was high 60 to 60 at the beginning, reaching low to mid 70's with the sun out. It was not terrible, but I noticed so many people walking, including myself. Again, kudos to the organizers for putting up a world class event, starting registration to excellent website. The Expo is a bit small this year but organized efficiently. The race, as always, is well planned, including great indoor area before and after the race, LOTS of port a potty, this year with even outdoor urinals- which I felt guilty of using but certainly cut down the wait time, lots of fluid stations and Med tents, at least 3 Gu stations, and a beer station- shout out to those guys at mile 21 1/2. Spectators were great. Hot breakfast is back-yeh. Great HEB sausages and HEB pancakes and HEB biscuits and gravy and lots of scrambled egg- they did not spare the egg despite of $4 a dozen. Also HEB ice cream sandwiches and HEB chocolate milk. Thanks, HEB. As always, mug and finisher and large medal at finishing line are great. Road condition is what you expect in Houston- some pot holes, but overall not bad. Nice wide road for most part with great traffic control- thanks to HPD and other law enforcement. Firefighters were out, at one point with huge American flag. If you have not been to Houston, you do run through some pretty neighborhoods now- no ghettos anymore. Great race, will run again next year, just hope it is cooler. Much cooler

Jan 16, 2022 my first time running Houston Marathon. The course is perfect for getting PB's, very flat. no surprises. Both start and finish point are a few short blocks away to each other in donwtown Houston - very convinient. Pre, during, Post race organization is flawless. Kudos to the organizer!!! This year the weather on the race day starts at 37F a bit chilly then rise to 40's during the race, absolutely perfect for marathon. Overall, I can't think of any, even minor flaws, of this race itself.

If you think Houston is too hot for marathon, 2021 freeze and today's race condition would prove you wrong. With a starting temp of low 30's and finishing temp of 51, this is the day when you can run forever. Well, at least until your shins and thigh give out. Having finished this race for 20 years and many other marathon under my belt, I still am impressed with the organization of this race. They have very informative website, good email notification, like the virtual race bag, excellent Expos despite of COVID, and of course, the race day organization. There were so many portapotty that you hardly have to wait, in GRB convention center, at starting line, right after you started, and throughout the course. Fluid station starts in mile 2 to 25 every mile. 2 Goo stations. 1 beer stand, thanks Michelob. Lots of police, thanks HPD, sheriffs and constables. Post race is well organized, nice size medal, mug and shirt. The only disappointment was lack of the usual hot breakfast from HEB, only a bad with apple/muffin/snack bars/water. So disappointed with not having my biscuit, egg and sausage. The course remain very similar to before, covering my highlights of Houston such as downtown, midtown, Rice University, Texas Medical Center, Galleria, and Memorial Park. There are some potholes and such, but they actually put some cones for more serious road defects. All in all, great race, fabulous weather, highly recommended

INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:22:43. The Houston Marathon was my fifty-ninth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: 46 degrees, partly cloudy, wind from the northeast at 16 mph with gusts up to 25 mph, and 46% relative humidity. The race started in downtown Houston at the corner of Congress and San Jacinto streets heading out of city center in a generally westward direction for the first two miles before turning south for the next mile or so. At mile four, we entered into the River Oaks neighborhood, lined with live oak trees that covered most of the street fronted by multimillion dollar homes on either side. Mile five took us southbound in the North Kirby district commercial area. From here on out, the road surface was mostly concrete. Just before mile eight, heading east, we parted with the half marathoners, who outnumbered us by a factor of two to one, when we turned south toward Rice University. Mile ten took us westward toward the hamlet of West University Place, another pleasant, quiet community lined with oak trees to shade us from the sun. Afterward, we turned north before heading west where we encountered our only significant incline, a railroad overpass, before the halfway mark. Miles 14 and 15 took us by the Post Oak shopping and office complex before reaching West Oaks, a neighborhood comparable to River Oaks. Before mile reaching mile 18, we began our eastbound return to downtown, primarily on Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway, including going through Memorial Park between miles 20 and 22. Weather at the finish was 57 degrees, wind from the west northeast at 16 mph, few clouds, and 24% relative humidity. ORGANIZATION: Exceptionally organized. Signs posted everywhere at the George R. Brown Convention Center, site of the expo, pre-start, and post-finish; absolutely no ambiguity as to where anything was. SPECTATORS: In a word, enthusiastic and supportive, including some of Houston's finest. CONCLUSION: An easy, flat marathon, featuring the best of Houston's neighborhoods and parks, and with the right weather and proper preparation, a good finish time in the waiting. Well done.

A nearly flat 6-hour course with PLENTY of volunteers, music, and spectators. Rivals NYC and Boston for fan support. Fun finish, even up against the 6 hour limit. One to enjoy start to finish

I've run over 195 marathons. I've run Houston 3 times. This race really does think of everything. They have both a well organized gear check and porta potties inside the convention center. The race is well marked, starts on time, and has lots of spectators. There are a few places with live bands, but I loved the extra touch of adding speakers to some of the trees and poles so that we had something to listen to when the race got hard towards the final 8 miles. Once the race is over we were shuttled back into the warm convention center. This is such a nice touch that no other marathon I've ever done has....being able to relax in a warm environment for as long as you want. They had a full breakfast sponsored by HEB. We also received both our finishers t-shirts and finishers beer stein. The volunteers were plenty along the course and inside the convention center. This is a top notch marathon. My only complaint is that they ran out of size small marathon t-shirts. I'm not sure how this happened since I signed up 11 months early, but this really is inexcusable. I was given a lame excuse about people switching between race distances. How many people really switch from the half to the full? If they can figure out the t-shirts, I would rate this marathon up there with both Marine Corps and Boston.

Houston marathon is the best race in the country from my 40+ marathon finish experience. From the registration to packet pickup to email to race and post race events, this marathon sets a high par for all other races to reach. This year us blessed again the a cool high 40's temperature, so even with Texas sun beating down, you can still run forever. They changed the route a bit this year, and I actually like that, giving the out of town visitor a taste of Herman Park, Rice University, and Texas Medical Center. Other than that, the race was well organized. GRB Convention center again staged the pre race sheltering with more than ample portapotty. If you need to go, there are so many ports potty in the corals, along the route (count them, 2 different areas of portapotty in first mile with at least 25 stalls; I waited no more than 5 seconds on my pit stops). Lots of water stations, at least 3 Gu station, and a number of beer stations. Post race festivities include mug and finisher shirt, huge metal, chocolate milk, ice cream sandwiches, and warm breakfast with egg, biscuit and gravy, sausage, and pancake. Yum! Expos was nice, lots of vendors. Website is informative, as well as email update. There is nothing I can complain about Houston Marathon. Look forward to it next year. My number 20.

We had chilly weather (30s at the start), which made for quick times. Despite the cold the roads were filled with spectators and volunteers that were enthusiastic and supportive. I was expecting this would stop after the half and full split but no, the spectators were still there! The course was beautiful with some lovely older neighborhoods as well as the downtown area. I loved having the convention center open to warm up before and after the race and the huge changing rooms were great. My only (very picky) criticism would be adding more post race food. Loved the medal and two shirts. Would certainly recommend!

I have to admit I was thinking the course wasn't going to be that pretty, having seen the half broadcast on TV. But it was a great course and the tree lined streets in the burbs were beautiful. Lots of pockets of crowd support too. Where there weren't people they lined the parkway with speakers playing music for a couple of miles. Nice touch. Only one little industrial area for the out and back at the half way point. You get to see other runners rather than scenery. I was most impressed with the organization, plus being able to finish in the convention center on a cold day was great! They had hot breakfast sandwiches and coffee too. This is hands down the best organized and operated marathon I have ever run. And I have done plenty.

Just finished another Houston Marathon, and I again applause the superb organization of Houston Marathon committee and organizer. It was smoothly ran despite of potentially harsh weather, and it was a good experience. This year's race is one of the coolest in past 10 years, at 33 degrees starting temp. The wait to start took a bit longer than my liking, given the cold weather and wind chill factor. In my opinion, they could speed up the starting even with the corral system. On the other hand, once you started running, the cold weather isn't so bad. The course takes you through inner part of Houston, mostly on asphalt. The city can certain patch up certain area of road, but most of the road are 3 lanes, plenty of space for runner to spread out. There are like 6 or 7 up and down, so relative flat. Lots of ports potty and lots of water and Gatorade stations. There are also 2 or 3 Gu station and a beer truck. Finish was nice with a good Texas shaped medal as well as a finisher shirt and a mug. Warm breakfast this year is a sandwich, not a filling as before, but lots of other stuffs like chocolate milk and ice cream sandwich. Expos was also well organized and lots of stands. All in all, a very well organized weekend. Look forward to next year!

I chose Houston as my first marathon because I wanted a 'go big or go home race' to keep me interested & motivated. I was thrilled that it was all that and a bag of chips. If you want to run a race that will keep you motivated and having fun the whole time, Houston is that race. I loved the course and I can't tell you how awesome the crowd support is!!! The sheer number of spectators and volunteers that turn out is awe inspiring. Houston is a fantastic city and I only wish I had more time to stop and sightsee longer. If I could run this race every year I would. I'm hoping to make it back again and give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. Thanks to everyone who makes the magic happen! Y'all are numero uno in my book!

What a great day to run with awesome weather! This was my 12th consecutive Houston marathon. This race keeps getting better each year. I really appreciate how they work on improving race day logistics to accommodate the runners. From the course change a few years back, the finish line chute, the morning corral flow and post race inside GRB all have been improved. The new medal is a bi

Overall the best organized race/ marathon, that I ever participated. I was very impressed with the number of porta-poties available, especially within the starting coral so you don't have to go once you actually start. I was impressed with the app, real time streaming of my projected position. My family used that to see where I was and met me on the course. They showed where it had also sent them pictures of me during the race, which was neat. After the race was great. Got to have a massage and breakfast. The one thing that could have been better was the start in the last coral D. It was impossible to get in the queue where your projected pace was. (I realize with 27k runners, this is difficult to implement). Another big issues was that after about 30 minutes, we started moving towards the start, so I presumed we would get to keep going as in other large marathons I have run. At that point I took off and got rid of my through away sweats. Only we moved only a few minutes and then stopped, which happened repeatedly. That's when I was really cold, up until we finally got to run. They could have exerted more control over staggering the coral starts to have avoided the starting and stopping. They do have a 6 hour cut-off time. This probably has a lot to do with why only about 7k marathoners finished out of a 27k event (including the half). As I was leaving, I saw people still running, but the finish line was closed and fenced off. So I think probably many were not allowed to finish.

Picked this race because of the course. It lived up to its billing as 'flat'. There was a small hill at mile 13. Also, there were a few rollers over the last 4 miles and they did slow me down but had they come earlier in the race probably wouldn't have even noticed. The weather was absolutely perfect: 35 degrees and clear at the start with no humidity and virtually no wind. Definitely a PB or BQ type of course with the right weather. Other stuff that I don't really care about but know that others do: Expo was well run- seemed to have everything an expo should. Organization- extremely smooth. Corrals made it easy to get up to speed right away despite the large number of runners. Crowd support- actually the best of any marathon I've run. Post race- seemed ok. I really didn't participate as I had to check out of my hotel Swag- T shirt was terrible as was finishers T. Nice mug however. All in all a great marathon. Would highly recommend.

This is my 17th Houston marathon, and it was one of the two coldest race I have ever ran here (and elsewhere). Unlike last year when it was humid and hot, Houston Marathon started in mid to lion 30's this year and stayed a comfortable low 50's with sun. It was a great day to run here. Again, my kudos to the organizers and sponsors of this race. The Expos is expanded this year and well organized. Fencing and security around GRB was fine. Corral system, with 4 corrals, each taking 10 minutes was ok, esp for the number of runners. GRB Convention center was open to keep runners from freezing, and there were so many portapotty not just GRB but everywhere. If there is such a complaint for too many portapotty, this is it. They used a new urinal system for men this year which I did not like, for a short guy like me, but it kept the line running. Mile markers and 5K markers were visible and surprisingly accurate for my GPS. Post race festivity was good, with a large, rather rad liking medal and usual finisher shirt and glass mug, warm breakfast with biscuit/egg/sausage, lots of drink, and ice cream. Good job with organization. Main issue this year is the road condition. With lots of construction in Houston and the politics within, some area had huge areas of loose gravel. I would not be surprised if someone fell. This is no fault of the race organizers but the city. One last thing. Being a veteran, we had additional perk this year with our own area for stretching as well as our restroom. That is on top of the nice polo shirt I can order for veteran (except every 5 years I get a free one). That is something other races, especially my other yearly race San Feancisco Marathon, need to take a note. Take care of your loyal runners and they will appreciate you in more than just running it. All in all, great race, ready to sign up for next year today.

I ran the 2017 edition and it was a fantastic time. Houston is the race where everyone knows your name, because it's on your bib, and lots of spectators cheer you on by name. They were fantastic! I flew into the George Bush airport, and took the bus downtown for $1.25. I stayed at Club Quarters, which is not on the list of sponsored hotels, but is cheaper and closer to the start than most of them, so I highly recommend them. The expo was fantastic. There was lots to check out, and Meb and the Gouchers were signing autographs - cool! The GRB center is very impressive. The start was very well organized. We all got going pretty quickly and if you lined up in the right position you could be in full stride once you crossed the start. The course is perfect for a PR. The only hills are a couple under/overpasses, and there aren't many turns. The footing is great, too. There are lots of spectators almost everywhere. When you get to the last couple miles the crowds get bigger, and you need it at that point! In my last half mile I was limping from exhaustion and fell. When I got up to continue there was a loud cheer, and in my daze I knew it was for me, but I didn't have the energy to smile or wave because I needed every last bit to make it to the finish. Thanks, fans! <3 The 2017 edition was unusually warm and humid. It was 65 at the start, which is no biggie, but the humidity was 95%, which made it very hard to keep cool. I ended up dehydrated and hit the wall hard. Estimates online are that the conditions would slow you by between 4 and 8 percent. The funny thing is that most who also ran it in 2016 (ideal conditions) only slowed by under a minute on average, so maybe Texans love their heat! But remember that conditions for Boston vary more than for Houston. Houston is a fantastic marathon and I highly recommend it. You will have a great time, and a great race.

The Houston Marathon is as well run of an event as you would expect from a big city race. The event is fantastic from start to finish. I like that the registration is first come-first served with plenty of notice as to when the registration would open. I much prefer this to a lottery system which they will probably switch to if it starts selling out sooner each year. The expo was one of the best that I have attended, well organized with runner specific vendors. The convention center is easy to get in and out of for both the expo and as a staging area for the start and finish of the race. I stayed at a hotel within walking distance to the convention center and the start line so I had no parking issues at any time. The race course was flat as advertised to the point where I wouldn't have minded an incline or two to break things up along the way. I think there were two overpasses that were slightly uphill. It's definitely a PR or BQ type of course if the conditions are right. The crowds were plentiful and enthusiastic. I don't think I have ever had so many people read my name off my bib and address me directly with encouragement. Of course the story of the 2017 Houston Marathon will be the conditions. It was hot and humid with intermittent showers throughout the race. The sun came out from time to time to add an extra layer of heat. This was definitely not my day as I struggled with the humidity from early in the race and spent most of the race more concerned with what mile I was in and less concerned with what was going on around me. There were plenty of water and Gatorade stops and tons of port-o-potties on the course. It is obvious that a lot of thought and planning went into this marathon, it is a fantastic event. Under the right conditions a great day can definitely be had in Houston.

Houston is a well run Marathon. It lacks the historic / majestic character of a Boston or NY, where one begins on a suspension bridge or quaint NE town. In contrast, Houston starts and ends in a cavernous convention center in the middle of a downtown area where not many people seem to live. There's not much happening downtown and you definitely need a car to get around to find places of interest. The weather is hit-or-miss. Some years it is perfect. This year it was warm and muggy and not conducive to PRs. The situation will probably get worse owing to climate change so this is a marathon to run sooner than later. This is a large race and the race organizers do a phenomenal job. The race threads through some of Houston's seemingly well-manicured, elite neighborhoods: Rice University area, The Galleria area, up to Memorial. (Further exploration of Houston uncovers a city with amazing, highly visible poverty in places - sometimes the city feels more like being in a developing, tropical nation than being in the US. It's very sad to see this. But you certainly would never know from the race route.) There are Gatorade and water stations every mile, many medical tents, especially later in the race, and porta-cans. People along the route are super friendly. I have never had more people cheer me by name. Really makes you feel good. Spectators are thin in a few places, definitely not at the density of a Boston or NY, but amazingly friendly. The only miss was a deficiency of porta-cans in the A corral. Other corrals and the convention center seemed to have plenty. I would probably not run Houston again. Temps above 60 I just really do not enjoy. I kinda wish I Had chosen to run Austin instead. But Houston's certainly a nice, flat course if you need to check off Texas from your list of states.

Holy cow, this was the most miserable Houston Marathon I have run in past 16 years. It was unseasonably hot, with temp up to 79. Many of us wished it was last week in 30's, but oh well. Between the temperature reaching high 70, high humidity, occasional rain, and sunshine, I was glad it was over. For those of out of Townes, Houston is usually not this hot, even in January. Aside from the weather, Houston Marathon went well. It always have great organization, from registration to Expo, which is huge, to prerace activities in GRB Convention Center (lots of everything, from prayer service to breakfast to tons to portapotty to my favorite Men's Urinal area), to the race (tons of portapotty on the course, I didn't even have to wait in line; also tons of water station, very important this year), to the fabulous post race finishers shirt/mug and tons of food -I had 2 ice cream sandwiches. Hands down, the best marathon organizers in my book. Course is nice and fairly scenic. Lots of crowds, even with the rain. Lots of flags, signs, bands, and other things to distract you. Mile markers were great-very visible and fairly accurate. Lots of race crews and police there- big thank you for all of them. The corral system worked fine. The only minor complaint I have is how GRB area had grown, and parking is a bit tough, since the new Marriott took 3-4 lots that was previously for parking, and fencing of the race took a bunch of garage out as well. Look forward to sign up next year's race. Just hoping we actually have winter weather for the race.

Fantastic course > long straights, wide roads, good surface, no hills, Excellent organisation > expo not too big and not too small, good location, great sponsors, corrals well organised, start time excellent, plenty port-a-potties, plenty of refreshment stations Spectators > zillion enthusiastic spectators Well done.

I have run marathons of all sizes and cannot say enough good things about Houston. From pre-race notifications, to the expo, to the start, the course, the volunteers, the wonderful spectators and the finish, it all exceeded expectations. The course is flat and fast as advertised and helped me earn a shiny new PR. The spectators and volunteers are what make this race so enjoyable. They cheer your name and offer so much on course support. I loved all the beer stops, but had to pass on the tequila! :) The convention center is open before the race so you don't have to stand in the cold. Plenty of portopotties. The start corrals are extremely well organized. Many thanks to the city and people of Houston. I have zero criticism for this marathon and loved every aspect of it. I stayed downtown in walking distance of the expo/start/finish which worked out perfectly. Plenty of restaurants in the area and for venturing out of downtown, Uber was cheap and easy.

This was hands-down the most spectators I have ever seen at a race of any distance. They were loud. They called your name. They got right in your face (in a good way) and made sure you felt their support. The course was just as advertised, with overpasses and underpasses being the only deviation from flat. The course was a mixture of concrete and asphalt. I expected the concrete to take its toll, but the it was the poor condition of the asphalt that caused all the problems. Aid stations were very well manned so if you were in a crowd or dropped your first cup you could easily get another without slowing. The post-race experience was great, also. Volunteers ensured that you were okay and guided you through an expertly-designed obstacle course supplying finishers with swag, food and drink. The expo featured dozens of vendors and, unlike Rock n' Roll races, you could get deals on something other than Brooks shoes. I missed my goal for this race, but still recognize how well everything is put together.

This is the third year we ran this new Houston Marathon course, and I am loving it more than ever. I have finished 15 Houston and 13 SF among other marathons, and Houston remains as my favorite. The organization is impeccable, again demonstrated this year with excellent Expos, smooth running of the race, and absolutely fantastic post race events. As for pre-race, registration is an ease. I think the system they have set up is fair for those of us vets and the newbies. Expo had a great layout and allow you to go in and out quickly if you want, or linger forever if you choose. At the morning of race, GRB Convention center had everything from breakfast for purchase to Sunday service. There were so many portapotty there, but personal favorite: Urinal Portapotty for men only. While it sound sexist, it is great, with 3 stalls that can fit 4-6 guys at one time. The line really moved. They should have that at ALL races to cut down for wait time. The race was well planned, with corral system working smoothly. I was in group B and took me 10 minutes to get to start. Not too bad. Weather was a cool 40F to start and ended up at 50's - you can't get any better. Spectators were great, represented by everything from Hispanic dancers to Belly dancers to Banana men. The new course ran through some nicer neighborhood, shopping area, and parks, quite scenic for Houston standard. There were lots of flags- shout out to HFD #6 for over-sized flag, as well as flags at miles 24.5. Tons of portapotty and water/fluid station along the way, and don't forget beer truck at mile 21. Post race included free mug AND tech finisher shirt, warm breakfast with egg/sausage/biscuit and chocolate milk and sodas. Darn they ran out of ice cream, but there was yogurt.. I think Houston Marathon is the best planned race there is, and J am proud to be a loyal participant of this great event. Houstonians should be proud of what we have to show the world in January every year.

I am amazed at the level of organization for the course in a major city and the amount of local support. The course was nearly lined all the way with crowds for cheering. Was a great event and I recommend it highly. When the only drawback you can think of is 'Sketchers gear' for shirts, it is a fantastic race.

I loved this marathon. The organization really stood out. The course support was superb and I really liked the medals (I did the 5K on Sat and marathon on Sun so got 3 medals!) Very friendly city with convenient hotels. Strongly recommend this marathon!

This was my 3rd Houston and my 22nd overall. Being a Houstonian, this race will always be one of my favorites. The organization is top notch, the course is fast and flat (come and get that PR and BQ). The weather this year was that perfect SE Texas January weather (start in upper 40's, 50's at finish) and the crowds were out in force to cheer us on. Will be interesting how quickly it sells out next year given the new registration system (no lottery). If you aren't in the guaranteed entry pool I'd mark your calendar if you want to run this one in 2016. I know I will be there for sure.

This marathon should be at the top of your list, if you have not done it. The organization is THE BEST I have every experienced (I have done over 30 marathons). The course is set up just right. It is mostly flat, with just a few small ups. The fan support was good all over the course. I can't remember a section that did not have some fans on the side cheering us on. The volunteers at the water stations were spectacular. They were very supportive (with the YOU CAN DO THIS). The finish line area leading into the convention center was well staffed. The staff inside the center were very helpful. It was easy to find the finish give a ways, as well as the food area. The line for the food was long, but it keep moving. The family reunion area was well marked and easy to navigate. My experience with the Houston Marathon was OUTSTANDING from start to finish. If you are thinking about this race, do it. It's a good one.

This is one of the most organized marathons!! The support is incredible!! Lots of people take the time to read your name on your bib to encourage you by NAME!! Water stops were amazing as the called my name out as they handed me water!!! I will come back to run this marathon! Thanks Houston, Texas!

This is by far the best marathon I have seen so far. The course was flat as a pancake and for most of the first half I thought there was a slight downhill. It was a pleasure. The weather was perfect this year. The best part of the pre-race activities was the organization which was phenominal. Hats off to everyone involved as they are The Best. If I ever make it to Boston, I hope it will be run this well.

My 11th Houston marathon and (42nd overall) and definitely my favorite. Course has been changed and only one major hill at mile 12 and a two minor ones near the end. Great spectators and organization. Host hotel (Hilton) is top notch too and accommodates runners with shuttle to and from airport, 5 min run to the start line right next to the convention center. Stayed at the Hilton in the AM to use their facilities until the very start. About to get crowded next year due to elimination of lottery system so only concern for some would be the getting to the front of the corrals if you are trying to set a PR.

This is the second year Houston Marathon uses this new course, and after two years of running, I, as well as all of my running buddies, love the new course. It is more scenic, with wider streets and feels flatter, which is not much of a problem for flat Houston. Combining that with a beautiful temperature of 50's to low 60's and ambient sun, it was a gorgeous day to pound 26.2 miles of asphalt. Again, the organization for Houston Marathon is world class. The Expos was fantastic, with lots of vendors and more efficient layout. The security presence is definitely felt but does not hinder the runners in any way. The fencing is better than prior years and much more friendly to navigate around. Corral system is now 4 corrals and is not a problem. Lots of fluid station and porta-cans as well as 1 beer station and 1 Gu station along the roads, and lots of entertainment as well. At the finish, we sti get an awesome metal, a mug, a free finisher tech shirt, and hot breakfast with egg, biscuit and gravy, sausage, all u can eat banana, chocolate milk, and ice cream. Eat your heart out, other marathons. I have enjoyed my 14 years of running Houston Marathon and will be back next year. Oh, registration starts today? Are they really expecting me to sign up another marathon in midst of my pain? I guess I will.

This was my fourth marathon and my first time in Houston, and I enjoyed this event so much! The crowds were very encouraging! Some of the residents about nine-12 miles into the course held out tissue for us, which I really appreciated. I started in Corral C, and was surprised that I could run my goal pace right away. The timing chip says I passed 943 runners on the back end of the course and 11 people passed me. I've never heard of this kind of specificity. I definitely would recommend this race to anyone. We stayed downtown and found a great organic foods market that my wife really appreciated.

The Houston marathon starts in climate-controlled comfort, is very well organized, the course is flat and friendly, crowd is good, then you finish in the convention center where you get food, drinks, free coffee/hot chocolate and an HEB hosted meal! It doesn't get much better than that!

This is an excellent large-city race with a manageable field size. 2014 weather was unbelievably perfect, although from past years comments that isn't always true. Start/finish were very well done - especially appreciated keeping half and full seperated when the routes rejoined later in the race - very helpful for full marathoners. Great crowds (seen larger, but none that were more supportive), beautiful neighborhoods. Flat, fast course although you get used to the flat and some mild rolling miles 20-25 feels like mountains. One improvement - more corrals, 4 isn't enough for 20,000+ combined half and full runners. I started in A corral next to 6:30 pace sign - spent 2-3 miles fighting crowds created by 8-9 min pace runners who decided to start up front.