The City of Houston will welcome the annual Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and ABB 5K the weekend of January 14th -15th. In addition to the races, multiple events will be happening in and around the downtown area that will add to the excitement.
Various City departments are working together with the Houston Marathon Committee and public safety agencies to minimize traffic concerns and ensure everyone enjoys a safe and fun event.
Street Closures
Remember that 26.2 miles of course means there will be some significant impacts to traffic on race day. Several roads in and around the downtown area will be closed beginning Thursday morning, January 12th. On Saturday January 14th, downtown will experience additional closures from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for the ABB 5K race. On Sunday January 15th the 26.2-mile marathon course and 13.1-mile half marathon course will begin closing at 6 a.m. As runners pass through each area, streets will reopen. Below is a detailed map of the race routes and the time streets will close and reopen.
Additionally, set-up for the Start Line, Finish Line and other activities will require that portions of the downtown area be closed beginning Thursday morning:
Thursday, January 12th through Sunday, January 15th
Expect areas around the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green Park to close for the installation of the Finish Line and related fencing. Closures include Lamar Street in front of the Hilton Americas and Avenida de las Americas south of Discovery Green Parking Garage.
Click here for more information on Finish Line closures.
Friday, January 13th through Sunday, January 15th
Expect additional areas around the Start Line to be intermittently or permanently closed until Sunday afternoon.
Click here for more information on Start Line closures.
Click here for more information on Finish Line closures.
Saturday, January 14th
The ABB 5K will take place beginning at 8:00 a.m. and will result in street closures between downtown and Midtown from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Click here for a map of the ABB 5K course.
Sunday, January 15th
From 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., expect streets along the Marathon and Half Marathon course to be closed and reopened as the race progresses.
Click here for a map of the Marathon and Half Marathon course.
Click here for more information on street closures and specific driving direction suggestions.
Race Day Driving Directions
Expect traffic to be slow in and around areas impacted by the race course on Sunday, January 15th.
Driving delays can be minimized by using alternate routes that avoid the course entirely.
Need help getting around on race day?
Click on the link for your neighborhood to get detailed information on specific closures and driving directions.
• Start Line Area Closure Schedule Map
• Discovery Green & Finish Line Area Closure Schedule Map
• Washington Corridor Driving Directions
• Upper Kirby Driving Directions
• Rice & West University Driving Directions
• Galleria Area Driving Directions
• Tanglewood & Memorial Driving Directions
• Memorial Park Driving Directions
Runners – Show Your Bib, Ride METRO for Free on Race Day!
METRO is making it easy for participants to get to the start line on race day by offering FREE round-trip bus or rail service to any marathon or half marathon participant wearing their official “race bib” on Sunday, January 15th, 2017. Click here for more information.
Spectator Information
The City encourages residents to go out and cheer on race participants! There are many great places to watch along the route. The Houston Marathon Committee has identified the top 10 places to watch the race on their website.
Spectators, don’t forget that the fastest way to catch your favorite runners at the mile 8 split is on METRORail. Click here for more information.
Download the Mobile App for Runner Tracking, Maps & More
Want to track a runner, get results or access course maps? Download the Chevron Houston Marathon mobile app, available now for free in your phone’s app store.
Click here for iPhone mobile app.
Click here for Android mobile app.
Watch the Race Live on ABC 13 or ESPN3
Can’t make it to the race route? Watch the race live on ABC 13 from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., or catch the recap show Sunday night at 10:35 p.m., also on ABC 13.
Want to watch the race on the go? Watch the race live streamed at abc13.com or on ESPN3.
Security & Safety
As with any public event, the main goal is to keep everyone safe. With that in mind, please remember to be vigilant about what is going on around you.
See something suspicious? Contact the nearest law enforcement officer or call the iWatch Houston Hotline at 1-855-iwatch4 (492-8244). If you see something that you believe to be a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.
Also, there are certain security and safety rules in effect for those planning on attending official marathon events. These are available at chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
Be sure to stay informed of emergencies, and large special events in Houston by signing up for AlertHouston online at houstontx.gov/emergency.
You can also follow on Twitter, or like on Facebook.
Need More Information?
Visit chevronhoustonmarathon.com for information about the race, and bookmark houstontx.gov/emergency for information on what public safety officials are doing to help keep these events safe.
