By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2025 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
HOUSTON (19-Jan) — Conner Mantz and Weini Kelati set new American data on the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon on a cold and windy morning right here. Mantz, 28, the reigning USATF marathon champion, crushed Ryan Corridor’s legendary report of 59:43 set right here in 2007, working 59:17 and practically profitable the race general. Kelati, 28, broke her report of 1:06:25 set right here a 12 months in the past, clocking 1:06:09.
“It was a special occasion at present,” mentioned Mantz, who completed second to Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena by 4/100ths of a second (each athletes got the identical time). He added: “My coach, Ed Eyestone, ready me properly.”
Mantz made his intentions recognized proper from the gun at 6:45 a.m. With a black watch cap pulled down low on his head, Mantz tucked in behind pacemaker Amon Kemboi of Kenya and Gobena, Gabriel Geay of Tanzania, and Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia, twice the race champion right here.
Kemboi did an awesome job, taking the quartet of contenders by way of 5 km in 14:02 and 10 km in 28:01. That tempo was beneath the required one to interrupt Feyisa Lelisa’s course report of 59:22, set in 2012.
Though Kemboi dropped simply after 10-Okay, the tempo remained sturdy by way of 15-Okay. The third 5-kilometer phase was timed at 14:04, and the 4 athletes have been rotating towards the wind. Gobena did a variety of the main.
Remarkably, the 4 stayed collectively all the best way to the ultimate kilometer, and it was solely inside the ultimate 200 meters {that a} head-to-head dash between Gobena and Mantz arrange. Gobena had a one-step lead and gave the impression to be getting away, however Mantz surged on the Ethiopian’s left and tried to overhaul him. As the 2 barreled for the slim end tape, Gobena angled barely to his left, squeezing Mantz, who practically bumped into one of many tape holders. Officers confirmed that Gobena was the winner, and the 2 athletes embraced after the end.
“I used to be thrilled to have the ability to run with all these runners,” mentioned Gobena, who received $15,000 in prize cash. “I used to be thrilled to have the ability to compete with such nice athletes.”
Alongside the best way to his report, Mantz cut up 42:05 at 15 miles, 45:16 at 10 miles, and 56:23 at 20 miles. These are all pending nationwide data.
“This can be a report I actually wished,” mentioned Mantz, wanting barely shocked. “I wish to decrease it down the street.”
Taking place the end order, Geay took third in 59:18, Yimer obtained fourth in 59:20, and Britain’s Patrick Dever took fifth in 1:00:11.
Within the ladies’s race, Kelati additionally set pending American data at 15 miles (46:32), 10 miles (50:05), and 20 miles (1:02:43).
“The purpose is simply to run exhausting from the start (and) that’s what I did,” mentioned Kelati, who mentioned that abdomen issues virtually derailed her race at present.
Like Mantz, Kelati completed second. Senayet Getachew of Ethiopia picked up 5 seconds on Kelati within the twentieth kilometer and held a four-second result in the end. She received in 1:06:05 and claimed the $15,000 first prize.
“The race was excellent, very powerful,” mentioned Getachew by way of a translator. She continued: “I’ve by no means run in climate like this.”
Mantz and Kelati took house $18,000: $8,000 for second place and $10,000 for setting new nationwide data.
The Chevron Houston Marathon lacked the fireworks of the half however was nonetheless an thrilling race. The boys’s elite pack went out conservatively in 1:04:17, maintaining ten males in rivalry, together with Israel’s Haimro Alame, Eritrea’s Yemane Haileselassie, and Kenya’s Shadrack Kimining.
Haileselassie, who received the Honolulu Marathon final month, put in a surge after 30-Okay, working the 5-kilometer phase between 30 and 35-Okay in 14:49. That was too quick for a lot of the pack and arrange a three-way battle between Alame, Haileselassie, and Kimining simply previous 40-Okay. Alame jumped and ran away for the win in 2:08:17. He received $50,000 in prize cash.
“At the start, it was slower as a result of it was so chilly, so the one choice was to avoid wasting the whole lot for the ending kick,” mentioned Alame, clutching the Israeli flag.
Haileselassie took second in 2:08:25, Kimining obtained third in 2:08:29, and France’s Hugo Taupiac took fourth in 2:08:50. Christian Allen was the highest American in seventh place in 2:10:32. His time was the quickest ever by an American man in Houston.
Within the ladies’s division of the marathon, Ethiopia’s Kumeshi Sinhala obtained away from compatriot Tsige Haileslase and American Erika Kemp within the twenty sixth kilometer. For the remainder of the race, she had solely males for firm. She cruised to a private greatest of two:20:42.
“It was after the midway that I left everybody behind,” mentioned Sichala by way of a translator. “After the pacemaker dropped out, I adopted runners (males) working for themselves. At 26-Okay, I used to be in a position to draw back.”
Kemp, who was working in solely her second marathon, achieved her purpose of working the “large PB” she mentioned she was attempting for. She completed second in 2:22:56, a 2025 World Championships qualifier and the second-fastest time ever by an American girl in Houston. She improved her private greatest by over 11 minutes.
Haileslase, who struggled within the second half, held on for third in 2:25:09. Fourth went to a different Ethiopian, Anna Dibaba, in 2:26:49. Amber Zimmerman of Philadelphia obtained fifth in 2:29:01.
The Aramco Houston Half-Marathon and Chevron Houston Marathon are World Athletics Gold Label Highway Races. That is the one occasion with two Gold Label races contested on the identical day on the identical time.
