The Houston Marathon 2026 got underway on Sunday, January 11, marking one of the nation’s largest marathons. Held annually in Houston, Texas, the event features a marathon, a half-marathon, and shorter events.
It began in 1972 as a modest event with 113 runners completing a five-mile loop course at Memorial Park, eventually growing significantly under the direction of Pete League and David Hannah, expanding from hundreds to tens of thousands of participants by the early 2000s.
This year’s race attracted nearly 25,000 determined runners, each chasing their own finish line. Here are the complete marathon results with completion times.
Houston Marathon 2026: Results
Houston Marathon Results – Women’s Top 10
- Calli Hauger-Thackery, 2:24:17
- Sara Hall, 2:26:26
- Biruktayit Degefa, 2:28:07
- Tejinesh Tulu, 2:29:13
- Erin Mawhinney, 2:29:36
- Mimi Smith, 2:30:14
- Lexie Thompson, 2:32:17
- Janet Ruguru, 2:33:47
- Gabrielle Orie, 2:35:06
- Elizabeth Talbi, 2:35:36
Houston Marathon Results – Men’s Top 10
- Zouhair Talbi, 2:05:45
- Adane Gebre, 2:06:16
- Shadrack Kimining, 2:07:35
- Yemane Haileselassie, 2:09:00
- Teshome Mekonen, 2:13:13
- Ethan Gregg, 2:13:32
- Awet Beraki, 2:14:13
- Joseph Farley, 2:14:57
- Thomas Madden, 2:15:22
- Zack Holden, 2:15:27
Houston Half Marathon Results – Women’s Top 10
- Fentaye Belayneh, 1:04:49
- Tsigie Gebreselama, 1:04:52
- Buze Diriba Kejela, 1:05:57
- Taylor Roe, 1:06:20
- Kumeshi Sichala, 1:06:53
- Evaline Chirchir, 1:07:26
- Natosha Rogers, 1:07:30
- Laura Galvan, 1:07:31
- Makenna Myler, 1:07:37
- Amanda Vestri, 1:07:43
Houston Half Marathon Results – Men’s Top 10
- Habtom Samuel, 59:01
- Patrick Kiprop, 59:14
- Mohammed El Youssfi, 59:21
- Alex Maier, 59:23
- Casey Clinger, 59:34
- Ryan Ford, 59:48
- Rory Linkletter, 59:49
- Isai Rodriguez, 59:57
- Hillary Bor, 1:00:04
- Vincent Ngetich, 1:00:29
Houston Marathon 2026: Standout Performers
The Houston Marathon delivered a showcase of remarkable talent, with British long-distance star Calli Hauger-Thackery capturing the women’s title, her second marathon victory in just a month.
She surged past Sara Hall (USA, 2:26:26) and Biruktayit Degefa (USA, 2:28:07), adding to her impressive resume that already includes the second-fastest marathon ever run by a British woman at 2:21:24. Hall, a ten-time U.S. national champion across distances, pushed hard and nearly claimed the crown herself.
Zouhair Talbi, originally from Morocco, blazed to victory in the men’s marathon with a stunning 2:05:45 – making it the fourth-fastest time ever by an American. Talbi’s Houston legacy continues to grow, following his 2024 course record and a top-five finish at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
Ethiopian runners Fentaye Belayneh and Tsigie Gebreselama dominated the women’s half-marathon, with Belayneh seizing the win. After defending her title at the 2025 BAA Boston Half Marathon, Belayneh adds yet another prestigious victory to her growing list of achievements.
In the men’s half-marathon, Habtom Samuel surged to victory in 59:01. The Eritrean standout, representing the University of New Mexico, has built a reputation for excellence in both cross country and track, with an NCAA 10,000m title and World U20 Championship medals already to his name.
