In the 54th Chevron Houston Marathon, Zuhair Talbi became the first American man to win since 2002, setting a new course record with a time of 2:05:45. Talbi, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2025 and joined the Army Reserve, expressed pride in winning while flying the American flag. He credited his pacer for helping him stay focused during the race, which saw a close competition with Ethiopian runner Adan Kebede Gebre, who finished in 2:06:16.
In the women’s race, Kari Hauger Thackeray claimed victory with a time of 2:24:17, supported by her husband. Although no American woman won overall, Sarah Hall set a new master’s record for women aged 40 and older.
The accompanying Aramco Houston Half Marathon featured Eritrea’s Habtom Samuel winning in his debut time of 59:01, while Ethiopia’s Fantaye Bilayine won the women’s half marathon in 1:04:49. The events attracted around 30,000 runners and 250,000 spectators, contributing to Houston’s long-standing marathon tradition.
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