By David Rogers. HOUSTON, Texas — Temperatures were at freezing but the pace was anything but on Jan. 19 for the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon races.
Israel’s Haimro Alame captured the Marathon men’s division title, completing the 26.2 mile course in 2:08:17, a torrid, 4:54 mile pace. Yemane Haileselassie crossed the line No. 2, just 8 seconds behind Alame.
Blowing Rock’s Josh Izewski, running for ZAP endurance, earned a No. 9 finish, running the streets of Houston in 2:10:54 to complete one of the season’s best comeback stories after an injury forced him out of the New York Marathon. In Houston, the 34-yearold Izewski was the second fastest American.
In the Half Marathon, ZAP Endurance team member Amanda Vestri finished No. 4 in the women’s division, just a minute, 29 seconds behind Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew (1:06:05). Vestri’s 1:07:35 was then No. 8 all time performance by an American woman in the half marathon. She improved on her own ZAP Endurance club record (1:08.14)
Izewski’s time in the full marathon distance also broke the ZAP Endurance club record, set just this past November by teammate Ryan Ford in his marathon debut, in the New York Marathon. Ford’s previous record was 2:11:08.
In the men’s Half Marathon, BYU’s Conner Mantz set an American record, finishing just a fraction of an inch off the shoulder of race winner Addisu Gobena of Ethiopia. Starting with Gobena and Mantz, both of whom were clocked at 59:17, four runners finished the 13.1 mile course under an hour, also including Gabriel Geay (59:18) of Tanzania and Jemal Yimer (59:20) of Ethiopia.
Blowing Rock was also well represented in the elite men’s field for the Half Marathon. ZAP Endurance veteran Andrew Colley crossed the line in the No. 8 position, just a minute, 30 seconds behind the winners. ZAP teammate Ryan Ford (1:00:59) was also in the mix for the top elites, finishing No. 14. Both Colley and Ford bettered Colley’s previous ZAP club record of 1:01:35, established last year in Valencia, Spain.
Colley’s time was the No. 11 all-time performance for an American at the half marathon distance, Ford’s was No. 17.
Another great story for the ZAP Endurance team was the return of founder Zika Rea to running the marathon distance. Almost 20 years (and two children) ago, Rea qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials in St. Paul, Minn., running the marathon in 2:41:06. She returned to the distance in Houston, finishing the full marathon in 3:32:07, an 8:06 mile pace.