A week before the 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon was set to take off, signs appeared along the soon-to-be route, proudly stating “Chevron Houston Marathon coming January 11.” While these signs only advertised the marathon, even more was coming to Houston. Race day for the full and half marathon arrived on the 11th, and with it came thousands of spectators with colorful signs, 7,000 volunteers, and 38,000 runners. Tackling everything from traffic congestion and road closures to coordinating volunteer efforts and hosting an exposition, downtown Houston was alive. Both the expo and race course itself hosted local sponsors, including Houston Methodist and Fleet Feet, turning the marathon into an ode to the diverse and active city. 

While the 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon was the first marathon I have run, it was not the first marathon I have watched. Every year since I can remember, I have woken up early and gone outside to cheer on the runners passing by my house. I always admired everyone who ran it and loved seeing busy Bissonnet street taken over by people supporting each other instead of the usual commotion from cars. After running two half marathons in 2025 and starting to train more consistently, I had decided to make 2026 the year of 26.2.

Going into race weekend, my longest run to date had only been 20 miles, 6.2 miles short of a full marathon. My plan was to run the remaining miles using a combination of race-day adrenaline and base fitness, but I was so surprised by how much support from strangers and my loved ones helped. From hyping up and connecting with other runners at the starting line, to random people cheering me on as the race progressed, I saw that while it was just me running, there were so many people supporting me. We were in this together. The other runners, myself, and the spectators are what made the marathon more special than a training run.

17 miles into the race, I found myself struggling. It was the hardest part of the race, both mentally and physically, and the course was uncomfortably sunny and hilly as we wound our way through Memorial Park. My pacing had slowed down, and I could feel my goal time of five hours slipping away from me, when all of a sudden, a woman near me asked if we could run together. I soon learned her name was Angela and that we had the same goal time. After bonding over a song she played on her speaker, we decided to increase our pace and push each other to the finish line, running the remaining miles together. We didn’t speak a lot; our communication was guided by hand gestures and short, out-of-breath phrases, but we had a connection that can only come from running a marathon. I finished the race with my dream finish time, but more importantly, with a new friend and a new mindset. 

Starting 2026 with 26.2 miles and recognizing the support the Houston community provides, I learned that it is not only important to believe in yourself but also in others. 

I was not the only person at Emery who decided this was the year of the marathon! Senior Ethan Cox also ran the marathon, and seniors Carolina Luna Giorgi and Violet Goldman completed the half marathon. In addition, faculty member Jeffrey Natter also finished the half marathon. In addition to runners, marathon weekend also saw Emery students and faculty volunteering at water stations and cheering on the race. All in all, this weekend was a great start to 2026.