INDIANAPOLIS - The 2014 and 2015 USA Half Marathon Championships have been awarded to Houston, Texas and the 2016 and 2017 USA Half Marathon Championships have been awarded to Columbus, Ohio, USA Track & Field, the Houston Marathon Committee and The Capital City Half Marathon announced today.

"We are excited to have Houston and Columbus play hosts to our USA Half Marathon Championships from 2014 through 2017," said USATF CEO Max Siegel. "We look forward to working with both cities to deliver what promises to be four years of elite competitions that will highlight the talents of our nation’s best runners."

The men’s and women’s national half-marathon championship races will be run in conjunction with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in Houston and The Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus. The events will be held in January in 2014 & 2015 and in May in 2016 & 2017.

“From Ryan Hall’s American record to Shalane Flanagan’s half marathon debut, we have had some great competitions on the streets of Houston,” said Wade Morehead, Executive Director of the Houston Marathon Committee. “Houston has a long history of hosting championships on behalf of USATF and we are honored to take on this responsibility again and we look forward to bringing the U.S. Half Marathon Championships back to the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in 2014.”

Houston has a strong history of hosting national championship events, including the men’s and women’s 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Marathon, the women’s 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials and 12 U.S. Half Marathon Championships since 2005.

Columbus hosted the men’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992 and since 2004, has held The Capital City Half Marathon, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in May 2013 with an expected sold out field of 16,000.

“We are proud to host the USA Half Marathon Championships in Columbus in 2016 and 2017 and thank USA Track & Field for the opportunity to showcase our city to the nation’s best long distance runners,” said David Babner, race director of The Capital City Half Marathon. “We also thank Mayor Coleman, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and the Ohio Association of USA Track & Field for helping us bring such a prestigious event to our community.”

CONTACTS:
Vicky Oddi | Houston Marathon Committee | Vicky@houstonmarathon.com | 713-957-3453
Bruce Wimbish | Greater Columbus Sports Commission | bwimbish@columbusspors.org | 614-221-6178