LOCAL Houston | The City Guide JANUARY 2015 | Page 42

Local January 2015_FINAL_002houston 12/19/14 9:56 AM Page 42

L

M

...IS FOR LINE

The 2015 CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON and ARAMCO HOUSTON HALF MARATHON take
over this month. After months and months of training, runners will have their
weekend January 16–18. The race weekend attracts roughly a quarter-million
people to the downtown Houston area between participants, spectators and
volunteers, making race day the largest single-day sporting event in Houston.
The race started in 1972, 43 years ago, with only the marathon; today the
premier winter marathon, half marathon and 5K offer runners a fast, flat, scenic
single-loop course.

42 L O C A L | january 15

AS IN PURPLE LINE, THE LATEST EXPANSION FOR
HOUSTON’S METRORAIL. THE RED LINE OPENED IN
2004 AND CARRIES 40,000 PASSENGERS A DAY
ON ITS 7.5–MILE TRACK BETWEEN DOWNTOWN,
MIDTOWN, THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, THE TEXAS
MEDICAL CENTER AND NRG PARK – WHICH WILL
COME IN HANDY NEXT MONTH WITH THE
RODEO. LAST MONTH SAW THE OPENING OF THE
PURPLE LINE WHICH BEGINS IN DOWNTOWN,
TRAVELING SOUTHEAST ALONG CAPITOL AND
RUSK TO THE PALM CENTER NEAR MLK AND
GRIGGS. THE 6.6-MILE LINE RUNS THROUGH ONE
OF THE CITY’S OLDEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND CONNECTS TO TEXAS SOUTHERN
UNIVERSITY AND UH. WWW.RIDEMETRO.ORG

...IS FOR MARATHON

Number of marathon runners in 1972 was 73.
Today there are 25,000 registered for the half and full marathons
(11,000 currently in the marathon).
In 1972 there were no international runners; today there are 375.
In 1972 there were 72 men and ONE woman; today there are
12,200 men and 12,800 women (registered for the half and full marathons).

Carla Valencia de Martinez