Top Men's Runners In Houston
If you had to pick the best runner right now in the greater Houston area (besides Sean Wade, of course), it would be a tossup between 28-year-old Houstonian John Hedengren and 33-year-old Luis Armenteros.
Hedengren, who vaulted into the top three echelon when Gabriel Rodriguez moved back to Miami early last winter, has won all three (3) of the HARRA Spring Series races so far, edging Armenteros in the last one, the Bayou City Classic 10K. He also finished 4th at the Rodeo Run behind Wade, Armenteros and Colin Wolfe.
Armenteros hasn't exactly faded off the scene though. In his six (6) 2006 races, he has won two 10K's, finished second twice to Wade (in the Rockets Run and the Rodeo Run) as well as being one of the top Texans in the elite-laden field of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
John's younger brother, Alan, 27, who lives in College Station, would certainly fall into the next pack of three-to-five runners in the greater Houston area. All three of their times are posted here:
John Hedengren
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 31:57.0 (Overall winner)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 32:39.2 (4th overall)
2/11/2006 - Park to Park 5 Miler - 25:55.0 (Overall winner)
2/ 4/2006 - Buffalo Wallow 6K - 20:08.8 (Overall winner)
Luis Armenteros
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 32:10.6 (2nd overall)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 31:27.4 (2nd overall)
2/18/2006 - Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K - 33:35.7 (Overall winner)
1/28/2006 - Angelton Spectacle Spectacular 10K - 32:15 (Overall winner)
1/15/2006 - Aramco Houston Half Marathon - 1:09:00 (48th overall)
1/ 8/2006 - Rockets Run 5K (2nd overall)
Alan Hedengren
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 33:49.2 (6th overall)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 35:27.6 (21st overall)
2/18/2006 - Galloway Gallop 10K - 33:46 (Overall winner)
2/ 4/2006 - Buffalo Wallow 6K - 20:22.7 (2nd overall)
1/14/2006 - Run The Woodlands 5K #145 - 16:16 (Overall winner)
One of the top Masters runners in town is 43-year-old Terry Garrett. He has scored five wins in five races so far this spring; however, he hasn't competed in any large race this season bypassing the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run and the Bayou City Classic.
Terry Garrett
3/18/2006 - Lookin' Good 10K - 33:27 (Overall winner)
3/ 4/2006 - Women Against Violence 5K - 15:57.7 (Overall winner)
2/25/2006 - Run The Woodlands 5K #148 - 16:01 (Overall winner)
2/11/2006 - Run The Woodlands 5K #147 - 16:27 (Overall winner)
2/ 4/2006 - Buffalo Wallow 6K - 21:44.6 (Masters winner)
One of the up-and-coming runners (with tons of potential) is The Woodlands' Ben Schulz, who is still just 19 after starring for Danny Green's cross country and track teams at The Woodlands HS. Schulz's best performance this spring may not necessarily have been his 17-second win over Junior Mitchell at the Kingwood Bridge Fest 5K; however, it may have been his almost defeat of Armenteros in Galveston two weeks later at the Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K.
Since that race, though, Schulz's performance have tailed off somewhat. Armenteros put three minutes on him and Channelview's Mitchell bounced back and clipped him by 21 seconds at the longer distance.
Ben Schulz
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 37:28.0 (29th overall)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 34:37.7 (16th overall)
2/18/2006 - Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K - 33:37.4 (2nd overall)
2/ 4/2006 - Kingwood BridgeFest 5K - 15:46.3 (Overall winner)
1/15/2006 - Aramco Houston Half Marathon - 1:27:22 (179th overall)
Hedengren, who vaulted into the top three echelon when Gabriel Rodriguez moved back to Miami early last winter, has won all three (3) of the HARRA Spring Series races so far, edging Armenteros in the last one, the Bayou City Classic 10K. He also finished 4th at the Rodeo Run behind Wade, Armenteros and Colin Wolfe.
Armenteros hasn't exactly faded off the scene though. In his six (6) 2006 races, he has won two 10K's, finished second twice to Wade (in the Rockets Run and the Rodeo Run) as well as being one of the top Texans in the elite-laden field of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
John's younger brother, Alan, 27, who lives in College Station, would certainly fall into the next pack of three-to-five runners in the greater Houston area. All three of their times are posted here:
John Hedengren
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 31:57.0 (Overall winner)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 32:39.2 (4th overall)
2/11/2006 - Park to Park 5 Miler - 25:55.0 (Overall winner)
2/ 4/2006 - Buffalo Wallow 6K - 20:08.8 (Overall winner)
Luis Armenteros
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 32:10.6 (2nd overall)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 31:27.4 (2nd overall)
2/18/2006 - Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K - 33:35.7 (Overall winner)
1/28/2006 - Angelton Spectacle Spectacular 10K - 32:15 (Overall winner)
1/15/2006 - Aramco Houston Half Marathon - 1:09:00 (48th overall)
1/ 8/2006 - Rockets Run 5K (2nd overall)
Alan Hedengren
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 33:49.2 (6th overall)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 35:27.6 (21st overall)
2/18/2006 - Galloway Gallop 10K - 33:46 (Overall winner)
2/ 4/2006 - Buffalo Wallow 6K - 20:22.7 (2nd overall)
1/14/2006 - Run The Woodlands 5K #145 - 16:16 (Overall winner)
One of the top Masters runners in town is 43-year-old Terry Garrett. He has scored five wins in five races so far this spring; however, he hasn't competed in any large race this season bypassing the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run and the Bayou City Classic.
Terry Garrett
3/18/2006 - Lookin' Good 10K - 33:27 (Overall winner)
3/ 4/2006 - Women Against Violence 5K - 15:57.7 (Overall winner)
2/25/2006 - Run The Woodlands 5K #148 - 16:01 (Overall winner)
2/11/2006 - Run The Woodlands 5K #147 - 16:27 (Overall winner)
2/ 4/2006 - Buffalo Wallow 6K - 21:44.6 (Masters winner)
One of the up-and-coming runners (with tons of potential) is The Woodlands' Ben Schulz, who is still just 19 after starring for Danny Green's cross country and track teams at The Woodlands HS. Schulz's best performance this spring may not necessarily have been his 17-second win over Junior Mitchell at the Kingwood Bridge Fest 5K; however, it may have been his almost defeat of Armenteros in Galveston two weeks later at the Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K.
Since that race, though, Schulz's performance have tailed off somewhat. Armenteros put three minutes on him and Channelview's Mitchell bounced back and clipped him by 21 seconds at the longer distance.
Ben Schulz
3/11/2006 - Bayou City Classic 10K - 37:28.0 (29th overall)
2/25/2006 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K - 34:37.7 (16th overall)
2/18/2006 - Mardi Gras Beach Run 10K - 33:37.4 (2nd overall)
2/ 4/2006 - Kingwood BridgeFest 5K - 15:46.3 (Overall winner)
1/15/2006 - Aramco Houston Half Marathon - 1:27:22 (179th overall)
posted by WalkSports.com | 7:33 PM
5 Comments:
How could you omit the man with the second fastest personal best times in the Houston area: Rudy Rocha. When healthy, only Wade can handle the Beast from the East. It would be a mistake to count him out.
This wasn't an attempt to rank runners at all. That's a dangerous business and not one that I really desire to get in to.
This was merely a commentary on some runners who have recently done well, specifically John Hedengren and Luis Armenteros. I threw Alan in because he's been having a good spring as well.
Garrett caught my eye because he's won all 5 races that he's entered this spring and Schultz is a long-term up-and-comer.
I actually communicated via e-mail with Rudy within the last day and I shared with him that I felt like that he was in the "3-to-5" that I mentioned, but that I didn't want to get in the ranking business.
Plus those that are at the front of the line know who is the best week-in and week-out - much more so than I do.
Rudy even indicated that he's been running injured for awhile.
Hmmm. Sure looks like a ranking. And on a very narrow criteria. No marathoners represented. No track. Just middle distance road runners. Perhaps "here are very fine Houston runners".
If I wanted to spend the time to research it, analyze it and attempt to represent it as the gospel truth, I'd start a publication and sell subscriptions.
Next week, I could write something else about 5 other guys that I thought weren't in the upper echelon. It's a blog. I never presented myself to be the gospel on the subject. I expressed an opinion on who I thought was doing well right now.
But, of course, you could always choose to not hide behind an "Anonymous" setting and/or offer your own opinion. I suppose it is easier to criticize others.
Lots of other guys are doing well too -- Jon Butler and Joe Flores from a Masters standpoint. I've seen their names in the winner's circle recently.
Ramiro Alvarado has been running well. Drew Prisner won the other day at the Lookin Good 5K.
The best of the Striders, Brett Riley, has taken a break, but was back to run the Bayou City Classic and the Lookin Good 10K. With Brett, you have Yoder, King and now, Fred Miller, who has been running well.
As we've mentioned, Rudy's been in the mix, but he's not on the top of his game right now and it might be fair to say that that has been the case, save the half marathon, since the 20K when I watched him and Luis - from the lead pace car - battle it out for 10 miles.
But I've already experienced where some of your rankle may be at. Because I'm out here doing something - as there isn't a lot of other similiar type commentary in the public forum with people willing to stick their names to their opinions, there is a perception that people view what I have to say as gospel. I got told that many times in the private and parochial school setting.
I make mistakes, errors in judgment, etc. just like the next person. If this is what I did for a living, then I'd be in a position to be more definitive in my analysis.
But, right now, I think the top three in Houston are Wade, Hedengren and Armenteros. That, I think, anyone can say with reasonable assurance.
I haven't crunched enough data to say "these are the top 10" and here is why I think why.
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