Freezing rain and powerful winds couldn’t stop American runners from making history at the Houston Half Marathon on Sunday morning. U.S. Olympian Conner Mantz clocked 59:17, taking down Ryan Hall’s 18-year-old American record of 59: 43, set at this race in 2007. Meanwhile, Weini Kelati continued her domination of the Houston Half Marathon, besting her American record, set in Houston last year, by 16 seconds, to finish in 1:06:09.
Mantz maintained a relentless pace throughout the race, alongside top competitors like Addisu Gobena of Ethiopia, who crossed the line side-by-side with Mantz, with Gobena ultimately being declared the winner (also clocking 59:17). A lead pack of five clocked a speedy 14:01 in the first 5K. As the race progressed, the lead pack dwindled, with Mantz and Gobena surging ahead in the final stretch to secure their positions at the top; Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay was only one second behind, taking third in 59:18.
Post-race, Mantz expressed gratitude for Gobena’s strategic role in breaking the wind throughout much of the race. His finishing time marked a one-and-a-half-minute PB in the half-marathon.
Ben Flanagan led the Canadian contingent on the men’s side, clocking 1:01:19.
Houston Half Marathon top men
1. Addiu Gobena (ETH) 59:17
2. Conner Mantz (U.S.) 59:17
3. Gabriel Geay (TZA) 59:18
4. Jemal Yimer (ETH) 59:20
5. Patrick Dever (GBR) 1:00:11
6. Hillary Bor (U.S.) 1:00:20
7. Wesley Kiptoo (KEN) 1:00:34
8. Andrew Colley (U.S.) 1:00:47
9. Alex Maier (U.S.) 1:00:51
10. Clayton Young (U.S.) 1:00:52
Weini Kelati’s repeat record-breaking performance
Despite facing stomach issues midway through the race, Kelati maintained a blistering pace throughout the race and finished second overall with a time of 1:06:09, 16 seconds faster than her previous record. Kelati started the race in a lead pack with nineteen-year-old Senayet Getachew and Buze Diriba of Ethiopia, speeding through the 5K mark in 15:30. By the 15K mark, Diriba began to slow down; with one mile to go, Getachew surged ahead to claim victory in 1:06:05. Diriba secured third place with a time of 1:06:48, matching her podium finish from last year.
Partway through the race, Kelati added another milestone to her growing list of achievements, setting a new U.S. record for the 10-mile mark. She hit the split in 50:05, shaving 47 seconds off Molly Huddle’s previous record from 2018, achieved during Huddle’s historic half-marathon performance in Houston. Already a top American distance runner, Kelati showcased her dominance earlier this year by winning the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials and finishing eighth in the event at the Paris Olympics.
The top Canadian on the women’s side was Natasha Wodak, who finished in 1:12:47.
Houston Half Marathon top women
1. Senayet Getachew (ETH) 1:06:05.
2. Weini Kelati (U.S.) 1:06:09.
3. Buze Diriba Kejela (ETH) 1:06:48.
4. Amanda Vestri (U.S.) 1:07:35.
5. Natosha Rogers (U.S.) 1:08:35.
6. Lauren Ryan (U.S.) – 1:08:43.
7. Emily Venters (U.S.) – 1:08:48.
8. Taylor Roe (U.S.) 1:08:4
9. Mercy Chelangat (KEN) 1:08:57
10. Susanna Sullivan (U.S.) 1:08:59
Houston Marathon
In the marathon distance, Haimro Alame of Israel captured the win in 2:08:17. Aleme was followed in by Eritrea’s Yemane Haileselassie, who clocked 2:08:25, and Kenya’s Shadrack Kimining in 2:08:29. Thomas Broatch was the top Canadian, crossing the line in 2:10:35 for 8th place. On the women’s side, Kumeshi Sichala of Ethiopia took top honours in 2:20:42, followed by American runner Erika Kemp in 2:22:56; Tsige Haileslase, also of Ethiopia, took third in 2:25:09. Eliyah Brawdy was the first Canadian woman in the marathon, finishing in 2:35:53.
For complete results of the Houston Half Marathon and Houston Marathon, head here.
