Chevron Houston Marathon

One of America's most recognized marathons, held in Houston every January since 1972.

The Chevron Houston Marathon holds the World Athletics Gold Label and has hosted three U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons. It also runs the We Are Houston 5K alongside the main event, open to participants of every ability level. ESW manages four functions within the larger operation: the 5K, start line operations for the marathon and half marathon, course marking, and the expo build out. Each has its own planning track and its own staffing plan for race day. The Houston Marathon Committee's permanent staff manages the broader event; our job is to make sure our pieces run cleanly within it. At the 2026 race, Zouhair Talbi won the men's marathon in 2:05:45, a course record and the first win by an American man since 2002. Talbi returned to Houston as an American citizen after emigrating to the United States in 2025, and the win marked the first time he crossed a finish line since obtaining citizenship. "It was my first time carrying the U.S. flag, which has been a dream for me since I came to this country," Talbi said after the race. "I'm very grateful. I'm very proud, and grateful for today."

The Houston Marathon Committee has produced this event since 1972. Over more than fifty years, it has grown into one of the largest winter marathons in the country. ESW's scope is focused: we manage the We Are Houston 5K, coordinate start line operations for the marathon and half marathon, mark the race courses, and oversee the expo build out. That means working within an established production framework and making sure our piece of it runs without friction. The logistics are citywide in scale. Our job is to plan carefully, staff appropriately, and make sure our portion of the event feels seamless to the people inside it.

The Houston Marathon Committee was formed in 1972 and has run the event continuously since. The 2026 race was the 54th annual running. It is now one of the largest marathons in the United States by participation. World Athletics has awarded it the Gold Label, the highest international certification for road races, reflecting the quality of its elite field and operational standards. The event has hosted three U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons, and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon has hosted 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships and holds its own Gold Label designation. Race weekend has generated more than $50 million in annual economic impact for the Houston region, and the event's Run for a Reason Charity Program has raised more than $42 million for Houston-area nonprofits since its inception. Race weekend is broadcast live on ABC13, ESPN+, and Disney+.

Four distinct operations within one Gold Label event.

The Houston Marathon weekend spans multiple simultaneous events across a large footprint of downtown Houston. ESW's scope covers four functions that each require their own planning track, vendor relationships, and staffing on race day. We coordinate closely with the Houston Marathon Committee's permanent staff to keep timing, logistics, and participant experience consistent across all four: the 5K, the start line, course marking, and the expo build out.