Houston Marathon Finish

01.06.12 at 12:24 p.m.
Lauren Covington

Marathon Weekend

We’re proud to be hosting not one, but two marathons on the weekend of January 14- 15, 2012.

On Saturday, January 14, the 2012 men’s and women’s Olympic Marathon Trials will bring 250 of the United States’ best long-distance runners to compete for spots at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Olympic Trials course will complete an 8-mile loop three times that stretches from Discovery Green in downtown to Buffalo Bayou and back. See the course map here.

The men and women will both begin and end on this street.  The men are scheduled for an 8 am. start, with the women just 15 minutes later. Spectators can watch from any area of the course. Click on the maps below and you can see the course layout as well as some suggested areas to watch. Please remember that there will be road closures to ensure the quality of the event and the safety of participants and spectators.  Please adhere to posted signs and verbal instruction in regards to parking, traffic flow and spectating.

Volunteers are still needed for the Olympic Marathon Trials. Click here to learn how you can be a race crew member.

On Sunday, January 14, the spectators can watch the 40^th Anniversary of the Houston Marathon, presented by Chevron.  13,000 participants will compete in the Chevron Marathon and 11,000 will compete in the Aramco Half Marathon. 

The course begins downtown, goes up toward The Heights, south through Rice University and west toward the Galleria and then loops back around to downtown along Buffalo Bayou. See the map here to scout out your spectator spot. The Chevron Houston Marathon features a wave start with the first wave starting at 7 am., 10 minutes before the second wave start at 7:10 am. View the Houston Marathon course here.

Like the Olympic Trials Marathon, the Houston Marathon is in need of volunteers. Click here to learn how you can volunteer this year.

And if you’re inspired by all the running, be sure to stop by George R. Brown Convention Center for the Ironman Sports Medicine Institute at Memorial Hermann EXPO. With more than 150 vendors from across the nation showcasing the latest products and gear in running, health and fitness, this Texas-sized exhibition is sure to have something for everyone-- and the two day EXPO is free!

2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, 40th Anniversary, Chevron Houston Marathon, EXPO, Houston, Running, Volunteer