Race To Houston For Your Next Vacation

Athletes looking to combine a new race with their vacation plans should consider Houston for their next destination.  Low and flat, Houston is great if you are looking for a faster paced run, without much (or any!) elevation change.  There are half and full marathons going on year-round, but be aware that races run between May and September can mean very hot, very humid conditions so chose your run accordingly.

Houston Half Marathon & Relay

The Houston Half Marathon and Relay (or simply “Houston Half“) will take place on Sunday October 24, 2010.  Registration is open on June 15; the half-marathon fee is $45 and the relay is $70 per team.  The race starts and finishes at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston (map).  Sam Houston is a beautiful park where you will enjoy a lovely view of the city.

You can find the Houston Half on Facebook.

Galveston Seawall Half Marathon, 10K & Crabwalk

Two days of run/walk events means there is something for everyone at the Galveston Seawall Half Marathon, 10k & Crabwalk.  Galveston is only 50 miles southeast of Houston, so you can choose to stay in the city and drive, or stay in Galveston itself.  The 2010 Seawall will take place at noon on Saturday November 20, and the 10k on Sunday November 21.  In addition to the two main races, there are two children’s races as well: The Lil’ Shrimp Kids K is a non-competitive 1K for children.  An entire weekend of events includes food, music and special passes to local attractions for race participants, such as all-day entry into Moody Gardens for just $25 each (for runners and family members).  Saturday’s half-marathon starts at Stewart Beach and ends at Moody Gardens.  Registration is open; fees are $60 until October 1, after which it is $70 per runner.  Participants will be running along the longest seawall in the United States for almost five miles of the 13.1 mile race.

Chevron Houston Marathon * Aramco Half-Marathon * EP5K Fun Run

The next Houston Marathon will be run on January 30, 2011.  Race registration opens on July 27, 2010 and the field is limited to 22,000 runners (11, 000 each for the full and half-marathons).  The Houston Marathon is a Boston Marathon-qualifying event, so if you don’t want to run this is going to be a fantastic race to watch and photograph, as many top-level world athletes will be competing.    All events before and after the race will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center at 1001 Avenidas de las Americas (map) in downtown Houston.  Registration fees have not been announced; fees for the 2010 marathon ranged from $90-$120, and from $65-$85 for the half-marathon.

You can find the Chevron Houston Marathon on Facebook and Twitter.

Angie’s Half Crazy Half Marathon

The fourth annual Angie’s Half Crazy Half Marathon will be held on Sunday April 10, 2011.  The race has a capped participation of 1650, and starts at finishes at the University of Houston Clear Lake Campus (map).  The route will bring runners around the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Armand Bayou Park.  Fees for the 2011 race have not yet been announced; 2010 fees ranged from $55-$80.  An early April race has the potential to be hot and humid, but chances are the temperature will top out in the 70s, making for a comfortable early-morning run.

You can find Angie’s Half Crazy Half Marathon on Facebook.

Photo credit: SXC