The Chevron Houston Marathon is just days away and the entire city is gearing up for the influx of participants, spectators, and volunteers. With a record number of attendees expected, the event is projected to have a significant economic impact on the region. Security measures are being reinforced following a recent terrorist attack in New Orleans, ensuring the safety of all involved. Participants are preparing for the race, embracing the challenge and the charitable aspect of the event.
The Chevron Houston Marathon is just days away and the entire city is gearing up. Marathon officials say they expect 300,000 people to be at the event this year, bringing over $50 million in economic impact for the region over race weekend. The race has raised $38 million through the Run for a Reason Charity Program since its inception in 1995. Officials say 34,000 participants ran in the event in 2024, with thousands more showing up to spectate, work, and volunteer. 6:35 a.m.
is when the race kicks off at the intersection of Congress and Fannin in downtown. 'Once you're on the other side of it, there is nothing more gratifying than saying I did I it. I trained, and I did 26.2 miles,' said Celeste Diaz Schurman. She ran the full marathon last year and is running the half this year, with a new purpose. 'I will be running the Aramco half-marathon guiding a completely blind athlete,' she said. Thousands of runners will join her, and on many of their minds is security. Houston officials mentioned the race and its safety in a statement after the terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day:'Like the rest of the nation, our hearts are broken by the senseless tragedy in New Orleans. The City of Houston and all public safety agencies are actively collaborating to ensure the safety and security of our community and future public events such as the Chevron Houston Marathon. In order to keep our public events safe and visitors and participants out of harms way, we rely heavily on the trusted relationships we’ve built with our first responder partners. Collaboration is the cornerstone of our success. For every event, we assess all potential threats and take proactive steps to mitigate them. By looking across the nation, we continuously seek opportunities to learn and improve, strengthening our ability to protect the Houston public. To ensure maximum coverage, we deploy uniformed personnel and specialized equipment that will be visible throughout the event, ready to assist and protect in every way possible. At the same time, we strategically position plainclothes personnel to enhance our readiness and response, if an unexpected attack or incident occurs. However, our greatest partner in public safety is the public itself. We urge everyone to remain vigilant and if you see anything suspicious, please don’t hesitate to say something. Together, we can make a difference, because public safety is a shared responsibility. We are committed to working hand-in-hand with all public safety agencies to create a safe environment at each public event and for everyone attending.' Schurman says she felt safe last year, 'The city of Houston is usually very well-prepared. You have a large amount of people coming from all over the world.' Another factor - the weather. Luckily, FOX 26's Remeisha Shade says no rain is expected - but it will be cold with temperatures feeling in the 30's with wind gusts. 'As long as it's not raining, we're gonna be okay,' said Schurman.
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