Runnin' in the Rain

Rain didn't stop the fun at the Chevron Houston Marathon as Ethiopian runnerstriumph

Mamitu Daska won the women’s race in the third fastest women's time in HoustonMarathon history.
Photo by Marci Gilbert
Runners had fun in the rain.
Photo by Marci Gilbert
Runners and spectators in the rain...and enjoying it.
Photo by Marci Gilbert

Grey skies, persistent light rain and high humitity didn’t hamper the nearly 17,000 runners in the 39^th Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Services Half Marathon. And it certainly didn't bother Bekena Daba. The 22-year-old Ethiopian runner broke the course record, finishing the 26.2-mile race in a 2:07:04.

Daba became the third Ethiopian to win the race for the third year in a row. His time was 33 seconds faster than last year's winner, Teshome Gelana, who ran under much better conditions.

Mamitu Daska, 27, also of Ethiopia, won the women’s race. She pulled away from Kasim Ashu, also from Eithiopia, at the 24-mile mark to win in a time of 2:26:33, the third fastest women's time in Houston Marathon history.

Daba and Daska each received $35,000 for their race wins.

Spectators with umbrellas, rain jackets, and rain boots lined the course to cheer the winners and encourage love ones, friends and strangers. Despite the light rain, bands performed along the way every few miles, and cheering stations sponsored by local businesses provided support and plenty of excitement to carry the runners through the damp race. Many non-professional runners stopped to give hugs to family members, high fives to strangers, or grab a towel. Some runners wore plastic bags over their shirts to keep water from their clothes and stay warm, whereas others ran without shirts.

Some runners had seen better races. Elite athlete Brett Gotcher, 26, of Flagstaff, Ariz., came in sixth place but had hoped to do much better.

"The wheels started to fall off around Mile 18 and by the next few I was just falling apart," Gotcher said after the race. "Then I saw dozens of kids with my picture on their shirts and I just had to finish or I'd be embarrassed."

Stephanie Rothstein, 27, also of Flagstaff, was pleased to come in third among women, with a sub-2:30 marathon for her first time. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease earlier this year, which shut down her running for months prior.

“This race was where dreams become reality,” Rothstein said. “I am very pleased with my performance.”

The 2012 Houston Marathon promises ever more excitement next year because the city will host the U.S. Olympic Team Trials the day prior to the big race.

Top winners:

Men 1^st place: Bekena Daba, 22, Ethiopia 2:07:04

Men 2^nd place: Nicholas Arciniaga, 27, USA (Flagstaff, AZ) 2:11:30

Men 3^rd place: Wilfred Murgor, 22, Kenya 2:11:41

Women 1^st place: Mamitu Daska, 27, Ethiopia 2:26:33

Women 2^nd place: Ashu Kasim, 26, Ethiopia 2:27:47

Women 3^rd place: Stephanie Rothstein, 27, USA (Flagstaff, AZ) 2:29:35

In the Aramco Services Half Marathon, Jeff Eggleston took first place among men with a 1:08 time while and Colleen DeReuck won top spot among women with a 1:16:19 time.

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rock on

Native Houstonian brings Austin-based climbing gym to the East End

Photo courtesy of Crux Climbing Center

One of the many climbing walls at Crux.

Crux Climbing Center, one of Austin's best indoor bouldering and climbing gyms, opened its first Houston location in September and is hosting a grand opening celebration this weekend.

"As a native Houstonian, bringing Crux to the Bayou City has always been a part of the long-term vision," said native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder Kevin Goradia. "Crux is a community-oriented climbing gym, and our decision to open our first out-of-market location at The Plant was largely inspired by Concept Neighborhood’s plans to create a walkable neighborhood that truly integrates the local community.”

Goradia — the son of Houston petrochemical billionaire Vijay Goradia — co-founded the first Crux in South Austin in 2016 after being dissatisfied with the offerings at other climbing gyms. Crux has almost everything a climber could want, including bouldering, training boards, a spray wall, strength training, fitness and yoga classes, saunas, locker rooms, a Kids Cave, lounge space and a retail shop.

The gym flourished in the post-COVID physical activity boom as more people looked for both exercise and social interaction following the lockdowns. The community aspect of Crux is very important to Goradia. When he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023, he credits the support he had through the climbing scene in Austin as a major factor in his eventual recovery.

Now, he's bringing that to Houston, a city where indoor-climbing is booming. The exceptional flat city has few natural climbing spots, which would be arduous even if they existed thanks to the heat. Instead, the last twenty years have seen an explosion of massive, indoor facilities like inSPIRE, Momentum, and now Crux.

The grand opening event will take place at the 21,000-square-foot gym space located at The Plant (3100 Canal St.) on Saturday, October 10 from 2-8 pm. This is more than just a few grab bags and a chance to do some climbing. Native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder, Kevin Goradia is pulling out all the stops with a full vendor fair offering art, jewelry, and vintage items.

The climbing will be a great way to work off the calories from some of the food partners. Cheaters Creamery and Sinfull Bakery will both be handing out treats, and Miguelitos Grill will be serving fresh-off-the-grill quesadillas that can be washed down with beer from St. Arnold's Brewery for the 21-and-up crowd. There will even be free tattoos from 13 Goats.

And, of course, there will be climbing. Throughout the event Crux is offering BOGO deals and raffles. The event itself is free, so this is a great opportunity to get a look at what made Crux stand out in Austin.