Texas Marathon Report, Edition #4, June 28, 2012

Five marathons to raise prices in the next week!

Starting Saturday, June 30, the Chosen Marathon for Adoption in New Braunfels and the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth will both raise their prices $10.

The increase will make Cowtown one of five marathons with open registration in the state to have a current price of $100 or more. Cowtown will join the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon and The Woodlands Marathon at $100. The Livestrong Austin Marathon is currently $110 while the Rock 'N' Roll San Antonio Marathon is $115.

The Chevron Houston Marathon sold all of its entries at $125 with its lottery selection announcements on Monday, June 25.

The Michelob Ultra Marathon in El Paso will increase $10 from $60 to $70 the following day, Sunday, July 1 while two of the three Mellew Racing events -- the inagurual Panhandle Marathon in Lubbock and the Tyler Rose Marathon in Tyler -- will move from $70 to $80 when you wake up for work on Monday, July 2.

USA Fit Marathon in Sugar Land opens registration June 28

For 14 hours only, the fifth annual USA Fit Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K in Sugar Land will kickoff at 8 a.m. Central time with early-bird pricing of $65 for the marathon and $55 for the half marathon -- a $20 discount.

The race, started after the Chevron Houston Marathon decided to enforce its 6-hour time limit and eliminate its unofficial early start, is facing direct competition on same day from the Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon and the Miracle Match Marathon in Waco.

The USA Fit Marathon will be price competitive with both events until August 2 when they raise it from $85 to $95, whereas the Mardi Gras Marathon will hold its price at $85 through the end of November.

Three marathons branching out with new half marathons!

Quite a few marathon directors are busy touting new events for 2012 -- and 2013.

Lewis George of Mellew Racing, who has two established marathons in the Big-D Texas Marathon and the Tyler Rose Marathon with a brand-new third one in Lubbock coming this September -- just spiced things up with the announcement of the Jalapeno Half Marathon.

With its mascot "Sweet Heat Henry" at the helm, the new half marathon -- set for Saturday, June 29, 2013 at Fort Worth's Trinity Park -- is offering an early $45 registration fee for those willing to sign up a year early.

The event will also include a 5K that has a reduced price for participants 12 years of age and younger.

New Year's Double race director Libby Jones has added a half marathon to her growing cache of events.

Located in Collin County, the growing town of Fairview will be the site of the Showdown Half Marathon on Saturday, October 13, 2012.

Reasonably priced currently at $65, with a companion 5K, the race will play off the loyalties of two universities -- Texas and Oklahoma -- whose football teams will face off later that afternoon at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Runners' bibs, medals and even finisher's shirts will be fashioned after which team a runner chooses -- or even a third style if folks like me - a Big Ten supporter - selects neither school.

Meanwhile, in the Golden Triangle where Rich and Amie James have brought the Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon to life in the last three years, the couple is also branching out.

Just three weeks after Jones's half marathon, they will inaugurate the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon in Port Arthur on Sunday, November 4.

With a primary mission of cutting the obesity rate in their communities, the couple has been eagerly encouraging anybody that can walk two miles to participate in one of their races, which includes a 10K and a Kids' 2-mile.

Priced at $75 to within a month of race day, the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon is appropriately timed as a tuneup for most of the winter marathons, including the Gusher Marathon the second Saturday in March.

Miracle Match Marathon race director completes Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake

Nancy Goodnight as been making her leap into multisports a fruitful one. With marathons in 19 states, the 46-year-old McGregor resident has recently turned to triathlons.

Last Sunday in Buffalo Springs, outside of Lubbock, Goodnight completed her third Ironman 70.3 race to go with a pair of Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas finishes in 2011 and 2012.

Because of course differences, there aren't really PR's at particular distances; however, Goodnight finished one of the most challenging half Ironmans in the country in her best time at the distance -- 5:58:09.

She had finish the other two Ironman 70.3 races in Texas -- Austin and Galveston in 2010 and 2011, respectively, in 6:07:58 and 6:06:17.

Her time on Sunday was good for an 11th place age group finish.

Texans Marathoners This Past Weekend

Kingwood's John Hill won his 45-49 age group at the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday, June 23 in a time of 2:55:37, which was good for a 9th overall finish. The top female finisher from the Lone Star state was Richmond's Yong Collins, who took her 55-59 age group in 4:09:14. The duo were part of a group of 38 finishers from Texas.

The top finishers at the Rock 'N' Roll Seattle Marathon on Saturday, June 23 were Houston's John Weldon, 18, and The Woodlands' Fabiola De La Parra Manriquez, 38, who finished in 2:59:21 and 3:41:52, respectively.

For Weldon, it is already his 6th career marathon finish -- and second straight sub 3-hour performance. In 2010, at 16, he ran Seabrook Lucky Trail in 3:45:09, Big-D Texas in 3:58:18 followed by the Gusher Marathon in 3:40:40 before running the Chevron Houston Marathon the last two years in 3:02:17 and 2:55:52.

San Antonio's Dan Shuff led 12 Texans on Sunday, June 24 at the UCC Coffee Kona Marathon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii by winning his 70-and-over age group in 4:54:44. Dallas' Ryan Joaquim posted the fastest time in 4:09:43 -- good for 7th in his 25-29 division.

Houston's Debra Anglin, 56, captured second in her age division on Sunday, June 24 at the HFM Martime Marathon in Manitowoc, Wisconsin with a 4:22:43 finish.

Three Texans were among the finishers of the Running With The Devil Marathon on Saturday, June 23 in Boulder City, Nevada. Midlothian's Alan Glaeser, 50, took third in his division with a time of 4:55:34. Denton's Matt Riley and Decatur's Benjamin Decker also finished while Houston's David Coates, 51, and Yen Nguyen, 50, also notched 50-mile run finishes of 10:27:06 and 13:10:20, respectively.

Led by Little Elm's Phillip Hodge, 46, with his 3:23:30 effort, five Texans finished the Run Charlevoix Marathon in Chalevoix, Michigan on Saturday, June 23. Fort Worth's Bill Berenson, 57, and San Antonio's Robert Wilson, 51, both broke four hours, respectively, in 3:36:32 and 3:40:59. Dallas' Nathan and Jenna Penland, both 24, crossed together in 4:53:25.

Dallas' Greg Wirtz (50-59) and Aledo's Jeff Nymoen (50-59) finished the Keyes Park Trail Run 50K and Marathon in Florence, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 23 in 5:43:11 and 4:29:58, respectively.

Texas Marathon Report, Edition #3, June 20, 2012

Chevron Houston Marathon Lottery Registration Closing Soon!

Want to be a part of the 41st running of one of the top marathons in the country? Lottery registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time on Thursday, June 21. Runners will be selected - between Friday, June 22 and Monday, June 24 -- to complete the combined field of 25,000 for the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Half Marathon.

Lucky registrants will begin being notified on Tuesday, June 25. Registration fees for the two events remain at $125 for the marathon and $105 for the half marathon.

McAllen's Fiesta Marathon set for Sunday, December 16 

Marathon officials announced on their Facebook page last Monday that this year's race -- the sixth annual -- would take place on Sunday, December 16 with the Health & Fitness Expo and Packet Pickup occuring the day before.

Registration is reported to be opening by the end of June. The Fiesta Marathon, which includes a five-person marathon relay, half marathon and 5K, has been one of the more economical events in the state.

Scott & White Healthcare B/CS Marathon adds capacity counter 

Little concerned about when an event is close to selling out?

Officials with the BCS (or Bryan-College Station) Marathon and Half Marathon want you to know how close they are to their respective caps of 1,250 and 2,750 runners, respectively.

At the top of their website, www.bcsmarathon.com, there's percentage indicators which report the races are 31% and 28% towards their capacity of the Sunday, December 9 event.

Those percentages would estimate 387 marathoners and 770 half marathoners have signed up to date.

The only way for any event to achieve full transparency is to not only report the numbers registered, but to also post the participant list publicly.

Registration for the second annual event is currently $80 for the marathon and $65 for the half marathon. Information is not available on the website currently as to when the price may increase before race day.

New Year's Double early bird prices to go bye-bye soon!

Race director Libby Jones reports this morning via her events' Facebook page that there are just 35 marathon slots remaining for each day's (New Year's Eve and New Year's Day) race until the next $10 price jump.

The New Year's Double races, with their current $60 price, are the cheapest in the Lone Star state.

Texans Marathoners This Past Weekend

Almost 100 Texans -- 94, to be exact -- completed the 36th annual Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota on Saturday with Zapata's Benjamin Metto, 37, leading the way with a fourth-place finish of 2:13:45.

Metto grabbed $4,000 plus a $1,250 sub-2:14 incentive bonus. He ran 2:13:57 for 7th a year ago and 2:19:15 in 2010, still good enough for a ninth-place finish.

San Antonio's Jeremy Daum, 26, was the second-fastest Texan in 2:27:38 while his wife Emily, 25, was busy running 1:18:14 in the USA Half Marathon Championship that was part of the Gerry Bjorklund Half Marathon.

Fifteen runners -- nine men and six women -- posted Boston Marathon Qualifying times. Dallas' Shelley Kaiser, 32, and Austin's Alisa Gardner, 34, had the top two times from Texas women as they stopped the clock in 3;15:10 and 3:17:35, respectively.

A dozen runners from Texas help christen the Canton (Ohio) Marathon on Sunday, June 17 with an event that started at the landmark Pro Football Hall of Fame and ended on the field at Fawcett Stadium.

Houston's Wynne Harvey, 39, and Cibolo's Deydre Teyhen, 41, had the top male and female times of 3:25:19 and 3:41:28, respectively. Teyheh and her husband, John, were one of three couples that ran the marathon, including Spring's William and Bridget Moeller - who are 50 States Marathon Club members - and Temple's Roy and Rita Sharp.

And finally, Amarillo's Robert Gerald, 63, placed third in his age group with a 4:51:58 finish at the Mama Rose's Estes Park Marathon in Colorado on Sunday. San Antonio's Larry Macon, 67, added yet another finish to his 825-plus career marathons.

Current 2012-2013 Texas Marathon Calendar

9/23/12 - Panhandle Marathon, Lubbock
10/ 6/12 - West Texas Crossroads Marathon, Odessa
10/ 7/12 - Tyler Rose Marathon, Tyler
10/20/12 - Marathon 2 Marathon, Marathon
10/20/12 - Frankenthon Monster Marathon, Cedar Park
10/27/12 - Chosen Marathon for Adoption, New Braunfels
11/ 3/12 - Marathoning for Miracles, Abilene
11/11/12 - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, San Antonio
11/11/12 - Fort Worth Marathon, Fort Worth
12/ 9/12 - MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Dallas
12/ 9/12 - Scott & White Healthcare B/CS Marathon, College Station

12/16/12 - Fiesta Marathon, McAllen
12/21/12 - End of the World Marathon, Humble
12/22/12 - Day After the End of the World Marathon, Humble
12/31/12 - New Year's Eve Marathon, Allen
1/ 1/13 - New Year's Day Marathon, Allen
1/ 1/13 - Texas Marathon, Kingwood
1/13/13 - Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston
1/27/13 - USA Fit Marathon, Sugar Land
1/27/13 - Miracle Match Marathon, Waco
1/27/13 - Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon, Galveston
1/27/13 - Brazos Bend Keep on Truckin' Trail Marathon, Needville
2/17/13 - Livestrong Austin Marathon, Austin

2/23/13 - Surfside Beach Marathon, Surfside
2/24/13 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth
2/24/13 - Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso
3/ 2/13 - The Woodlands Marathon, The Woodlands
3/ 9/13 - Exygon and Baptist Hospitals The Gusher Marathon, Beaumont
3/17/13 - Seabrook Lucky Trail Marathon, Seabrook

4/13/13 - Davy Crockett Bear Chase, Groveton
4/14/13 - Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas

Disclaimer

While I count the race directors of many of Texas' marathons as personal friends, I do have relationships with many races that it is important for me to disclose:

Finish Line Announcer, Texas Marathon, Kingwood, 1/1/13
Finish Line Announcer, Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon, Galveston, 1/27/13
Media Coordinator / Race Committee, The Woodlands Marathon, The Woodlands, 3/2/13
Finish Line Announcer / Race Committee, Seabrook Lucky Trail Marathon, Seabrook, 3/17/13

I have also performed finish line announcing duties at the following races:

Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon, Beaumont, 2012
Davy Crockett Bear Chase, Groveton, 2008-2010

What is the Texas Marathon Report?

The Texas Marathon Report - a creation of Walk Sports Services - will attempt to serve the runners and endurance athletes who participate and compete in marathons in the Lone Star state with news, information and statistics.

Texas Marathons on Twitter

Not all of the Texas marathons have caught on to the social media wave.  However, many have.

Namely, 13 have Twitter accounts and all but two are fairly active.

The Chevron Houston Marathon leads the way with 6,499 followers as of Friday evening, June 15.

The Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon has almost 2,000 tweets -- 1,802 to be exact.

Here is the complete list of Texas marathons with their Twitter address and stats:

@houstonmarathon -- Chevron Houston Marathon -- 1,003 tweets and 6,499 followers
@austinmarathon -- Livestrong Austin Marathon -- 744 tweets and 3,704 followers
@dallasmarathon -- MetroPCS Dallas Marathon -- 154 tweets and 1,022 followers
@thecowtown -- Cowtown Marathon -- 666 tweets and 486 followers
@chosenmarathon -- Chosen Marathon for Adoption (New Braunfels) -- 169 tweets and 347 followers
@GusherMarathon -- Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon (Beaumont) -- 1,802 tweets and 259 followers
@NewYearsDouble -- New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Marathon (Allen) -- 496 tweets and 235 followers
@BCSmarathon -- Scott & White Healthcare Bryan-College Station Marathon -- 141 tweets and 225 followers
@TWMarathon -- The Woodlands Marathon -- 279 tweets and 161 followers
@FtWorthMarathon -- Fort Worth Marathon -- 16 tweets and 139 followers
@TylerMarathon -- Tyler Rose Marathon -- 40 tweets and 24 followers

Inactive Twitter accounts and statistics:

@usafitmarathon -- USA Fit Marathon (Sugar Land) -- 50 tweets and 100 followers (last tweet - 2/3/12)
@MarathonWaco -- Miracle Match Marathon (Waco) -- 7 tweets and 9 followers (last tweet -- 11/21/11)

Registration Price Points of Texas Marathons

Price points are prices at which demand for a given product is supposed to stay relatively high. Firms commonly set prices at existing price-points as a marketing strategy.

Wikipedia, of course, isn't the end-all, be-all, but these two sentences stood out to me in watching how marathons are priced nationally and regionally.

To try and stay on top of all of the races - and when prices go up, it takes a lot of effort by runners and endurance athletes to be aware of when a race that they may want to run will cost them more.

That's where the "Texas Marathon Report" comes in. During the past week, all of the marathon web sites have been examined and this compilation - as of Wednesday, June 13 - has been produced.

In all cases, if you have specific questions of a particular event, please contact the Race Director at information listed on that race's website. -- Jon Walk

Registration Not Currently Open

USA Fit Marathon, Sugar Land, 1/27/13
Surfside Beach Marathon, Surfside, 2/23/13
Seabrook Lucky Trail Marathon, Seabrook, 3/17/13

Calendar Dates Not Set

Fiesta Marathon, McAllen

Cross Timbers Trail Run Marathon, Lake Texoma

Price Increase, if any, Currently Unknown

$75 - Frankenthon Monster Marathon, Cedar Park, 10/20/12

$80 - Scott & White Healthcare BCS Marathon, College Station, 12/9/12
$90 - Miracle Match Marathon, Waco, 1/27/13#

Tiered Pricing (Increases are based on numbers registered)

$60 - New Year's Eve Marathon, Allen, 12/31/12  (Registrations 51-100)

$60 - New Year's Day Marathon, Allen, 1/1/13  (Registrations 51-100)

$100 - Livestrong Austin Marathon, Austin, 2/17/13 (First 1,000)

Sold Out

Metal Saw Technology Texas Marathon, Kingwood, 1/1/13

Lottery
$125 - Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston, 1/13/13

Through 6/29/12
$85 - Chosen Marathon for Adoption, New Braunfels, 10/27/12
$90 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth, 2/24/13

Starting 6/30/12

$95 - Chosen Marathon for Adoption, New Braunfels, 10/27/12

$100 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth, 2/24/13

Through 6/30/12

$60 - Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso, 2/24/13

Through 7/1/12

$70 - Panhandle Marathon, Lubbock, 9/23/12

$70 - Tyler Rose Marathon, Tyler, 10/7/12

Starting 7/1/12

$70 - Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso, 2/24/13

Starting 7/2/12

$80 - Panhandle Marathon, Lubbock, 9/23/12

$80 - Tyler Rose Marathon, Tyler, 10/7/12

Through 7/31/12

$75 - Marathoning for Miracles, Abilene, 11/3/12

$100 - MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Dallas, 12/9/12

Starting 8/1/12

$85 - Marathoning for Miracles, Abilene, 11/3/12

$115 - MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Dallas, 12/9/12

Through 8/28/12

$110 - Livestrong Austin Marathon, Austin, 2/27/13

Starting 8/29/12

$120 - Livestrong Austin Marathon, Austin, 2/27/13

Through 8/31/12

$82 - West Texas Cross Roads Marathon, Odessa, 10/6/12+

$115 - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, San Antonio, 11/11/12
$75 - End of the World Marathon, Humble, 12/21/12
$75 - Day After the End of the World Marathon, Humble, 12/22/12

Starting 9/1/12

$90 - West Texas Cross Roads Marathon, Odessa, 10/6/12+

$105 - Chosen Marathon for Adoption, New Braunfels, 10/27/12
$125 - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, San Antonio, 11/11/12
$85 - End of the World Marathon, Humble, 12/21/12
$85 - Day After the End of the World Marathon, Humble, 12/22/12

Starting 9/15/12

$95 - Marathoning for Miracles, Abilene, 11/3/12

Starting 9/22/12

$90 - Panhandle Marathon, Lubbock, 9/23/12

Through 9/30/12

$80 - Fort Worth Marathon, Fort Worth, 11/11/12

$100 - The Woodlands Marathon, The Woodlands, 3/2/13

Starting 10/1/12

$90 - Fort Worth Marathon, Fort Worth, 11/11/12

$80 - Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso, 2/24/13
$120 - The Woodlands Marathon, The Woodlands, 3/2/13

Starting 10/6/12

$90 - Tyler Rose Marathon, Tyler, 10/7/12

Through 10/10/12

$75 - Marathon 2 Marathon, Marathon, 10/20/12

Starting 10/11/12

$85 - Marathon 2 Marathon, Marathon, 10/20/12

Starting 10/14/12

$120 - Chosen Marathon for Adoption, New Braunfels, 10/27/12

Starting 10/16/12

$130 - MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Dallas, 12/9/12

Starting 11/16/12

$105 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth, 2/24/13

Starting 11/28/12

$135 - Livestrong Austin Marathon, Austin, 2/17/13

Through 11/30/12

$85 - Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon, Galveston, 1/27/13

Starting 12/1/12

$90 - End of the World Marathon, Humble, 12/21/12

$90 - Day After the End of the World Marathon, Humble, 12/22/12

$95 - Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon, Galveston, 1/27/13

Through 12/30/12

$75 - Brazos Bend Keep on Truckin' Trail Marathon, Needville, 1/27/13

Starting 12/31/12

$85 - Brazos Bend Keep on Truckin' Trail Marathon, Needville, 1/27/13

Starting 1/1/13

$105 - Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon, Galveston, 1/27/13

$110 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth, 2/24/13

$90 - Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso, 2/24/13
$140 - The Woodlands Marathon, The Woodlands, 3/2/13

Through 1/13/13

$90 - Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas, 4/14/13

Starting 1/14/13

$100 - Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas, 4/14/13

Through 1/31/13

$80 - Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon, Beaumont, 3/9/13

Starting 2/1/13

$95 - Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon, Beaumont, 3/9/13

Starting 4/8/13

$120 - Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas, 4/14/13

Race-Day Registration Available
Panhandle Marathon, Lubbock
West Texas Cross Roads Marathon, Odessa
Tyler Rose Marathon, Tyler
Marathon 2 Marathon, Marathon
Fort Worth Marathon, Fort Worth ($100)
End of the World Marathon, Humble
Day After the End of the World Marathon, Humble
Miracle Match Marathon, Waco (Was in 2012)
Brazos Bend Keep on Truckin' Trail Marathon, Needville

If Available, at Race Expo Only

$150 - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, San Antonio, 11/11/12
$150 - MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Dallas, 12/9/12
$120 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth, 2/24/13
$100 - Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso, 2/24/13

Race-Day Registration Not Available

Chosen Marathon for Adoption, New Braunfels
Marathoning for Miracles, Abilene
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, San Antonio
MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Dallas
New Year's Eve Marathon, Allen
New Year's Day Marathon, Allen
Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston
Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon, Galveston

Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth &
Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon, El Paso &
The Woodlands Marathon, The Woodlands
Exygon and Baptist Hospitals Gusher Marathon, Beaumont
Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas

Notes
+ Price through 8/31/12 includes online fees; price 9/1 and after does not include.
# Price isn't listed anywhere on the website. Only able to be discerned by starting a registration through raceit.com.
& Website doesn't specifically state this, but it is implied.