Houston Running: Holden Smashes 2005 Chicago Distance Classic Time

Houston Running

One of the leading sources for the discussion of Houston-area (and Texas as well) road racing. Focus and attention will be given to Houston-area runners, specifically HARRA members, that compete in outside-of-the-area events as well as those who do interesting things that aren't captured in the various media outlets, such as Inside Texas Running, Runner Triathlete News and Roberta MacInnis' Running Notebook in the Houston Chronicle (all fine publications and columns but with limitations too).

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Name: WalkSports.com

Location: Spring, Texas, United States

I'm a mid-to-the back of the pack runner who probably enjoys promoting runners more than I do running myself ... I've completed 21 marathons (with a 4:47:32 PR! in Austin) and 52 half marathons (with a 2:09:58 PR! in Oregon) since November 2003 ... I've done a marathon in 12 states, half marathon in 23 and an event in 30 states and one Canadian province ... I have a 13-year-old daughter, Waverly Nicole, who completed her first half marathon in January 2006, made only two B's each of the last two years, was the only sixth grader to sing a solo (Carrie Underwood's Don't Forget To Remember Me) in their choir program (adding Taylor Swift's Tim McGraw in '08) and scored a 19 on the ACT in December 2007 as a seventh grader ... Waverly and I are members of the following clubs -- the Seven Hills Running Club, HARRA and The Woodlands Running Club ... I'm Marathon Maniac #308 ... I edit HARRA's Footprints in Inside Texas Running and write a column for Runner Triathlete News called, "Talking the Talk" ... I'm also the running columnist for the Courier of Montgomery County ... I'm a three-time winner of TAPPS' Sportswriter of the Year Award as well as TABC's Golden Hoops Award.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Holden Smashes 2005 Chicago Distance Classic Time

One of our Texas Independence Relay runners, the honorable Holden Choi, 41, of The Woodlands, smashed his 2005 Chicago Distance Classic time by 31 minutes earlier today with his 2:08:01 half marathon finish in Chicago.

Choi ran the course two years ago in 2:39:52 after experiencing knee problems after the mile 6 marker. (Yours truly ran it in 2004 in 2:29:34.)

Holden was less than four minutes from achieving a new PR as he ran 2:04:35 at the Surfside Beach Half Marathon in 2006.

Also putting together a nice showing today was Seabrook's Vera Balic, 35, who is also a Bay Area Running Club board member and the assistant manager of On The Run in Clear Lake. Balic, who has been battling off and on injuries the last year or two, ran a real strong 1:36:51 to be 11th in her 35-39 division.

Popping up in the Texas results was Dick Beardsley, 51, who has been spending considerable time in Austin as of late. The 1982 Boston Marathon runner-up covered the course today in 1:25:37 to be third in his age group behind runners from Indiana and Illinois.

2 Comments:

Woodlands Runner said...: Hi Jon!
Thanks for the publicity! Had a wonderful time in Chicago. Will file a report when I return to Houston later this week.; 4:04 PM
Anonymous said...: I feel obligated to do a shout out for Liz Schwandt, who moved to Chicago 8 months ago from the Clear Lake area (we miss her!). She finished the run 2nd in her 45-49 age group with a time of 1:36:06.; 7:00 PM