On Sunday, January 15, JASH volunteers gathered in the early morning to cheer on the runners of the 2023 Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Armed with noisemakers, music, signs, and incredible enthusiasm, the JASH HOOPLA Brigade at Mile 7 was ready to show Japanese hospitality to the over 27,000 runners on the course.
JASH congratulates the winner of the Women’s Marathon title, Hitomi Niiya, who crossed the finish line at 2:19:24 — blowing away her personal best and just missing the course record by 12 seconds. Her win makes her only the second runner, man or woman, to complete the H-town Double! (Niiya won the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in 2020, setting a Japanese national record in the process.)
We also congratulate Kenta Uchida, who finished the race among the top ten on the men’s leaderboard.
Congratulations as well to all the runners, supporters, and volunteers for all your hard work and dedication.