RUNNING USA – Houston Marathon Foundation Continues Commitment to Elite Distance Running

HOUSTON  – The Houston Marathon Foundation (HMF) announced that it will provide $40,000 in funding for U.S. elite long-distance running development programs. Grant support for the training and development of U.S. long-distance runners has been awarded to local Houston athlete and former Rice University four-time NCAA Division I All-American Becky Wade, Team USA Minnesota and ZAP Fitness, headquartered in North Carolina.

"The Houston Marathon Committee has been an industry leader in its support of U.S. long distance running for decades by hosting national championships and Olympic Trials, as well as providing dedicated prize money for U.S. participants," said Houston Marathon Foundation and Committee Executive Director Wade Morehead. "The Houston Marathon Foundation has continued this tradition since its inception and we are thrilled to be able to support our country's finest runners, including Houston resident Becky Wade, in their quest to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games."

In her marathon debut in December 2013, Becky Wade won the California International Marathon in 2:30:41, the fifth-fastest marathon by an American woman in 2013. It was her first race longer than 10K, her specialty distance in which she earned All-American honors in 2009 and 2012. Wade is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rice University with a triple major in history, sociology and psychology.

"I am so appreciative and excited about building a relationship with the Houston Marathon Committee and Foundation," said Wade. "I think that, together, we can invigorate the Houston running landscape. With their support and our joint effort, I'm confident that we can unify the running community, connect the runners to the masses and promote the sweeping benefits of a running lifestyle. In addition, I hope to follow in the footsteps of some great Houston runners before me and represent this great city at the international level. The financial support from the Houston Marathon Foundation will go a long way in helping me to achieve my running goals, as it will enable me to invest more heavily in resources such as physical therapy, regular massages, and sports psychology consultations."

In addition to supporting Wade, the Houston Marathon Foundation will support Team USA Minnesota for the second-consecutive year. Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Formed in 2001, the purpose of the training center is to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, former head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Team USA Minnesota's mission is to provide an opportunity for talented distance runners to train in an environment that will prepare them to compete on a level with the best in the nation and in the world and to raise awareness of the sport of distance running.

"We truly appreciate the support that our training group has received from the Houston Marathon Foundation," said Patricia Goodwin, president and founder of Team USA Minnesota.  "This significant sponsorship gives us the opportunity and continued confidence to develop American runners who race nationally and internationally on the roads, the track and in cross country.  We also look forward to once again competing at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, which is the site of the 2015 USA Half Marathon Championships."

This will be the inaugural year of the Foundation's support of the ZAP Fitness Foundation which was established in 2001 and is a non-profit training center for post-collegiate, Olympic hopeful distance runners. Its founders, the late Andy Palmer and his wife Zika, developed the program as a way to give back to the sport of distance running, a sport that played a significant role in both their lives. The objectives of ZAP Fitness include financially supporting 8-10 post-collegiate distance runners in their efforts to make World Championship and Olympic Teams and providing role models for America's youth by promoting an active healthy lifestyle as well as promoting achievement.

"All of us at ZAP Fitness are humbled by this grant from the Houston Marathon Foundation," said Peter Rea, head coach of ZAP Fitness. "Now entering our 14th year, we at ZAP Fitness continue to focus on 2 key missions: First and foremost educating runners of all ages and ability on how to most intelligently approach the sport and secondly provide a full range of support for a team of our country's best up and coming post collegiate runners.

It is in these missions that we share common goals with the Houston Marathon Foundation, goals of both performance and fitness alike. These funds will be utilized for rehabilitation and medical services for our resident team of Olympic hopefuls, an area of critical need for our group. We again thank the Houston Marathon Foundation for their support in this unique partnership." 

Since 2008, the HMF has directly contributed to U.S. distance running by funding the USA Distance Project and providing direct support to U.S. Training Centers, like Team USA Minnesota and Zap Fitness.

This is in addition to numerous local initiatives in the Greater Houston Region supported by the HMF to provide opportunities and support for new runners and the vibrant local running community. An announcement outlining the local programs to be supported this year by the HMF will be released at the end of November.

For more information, visit www.houstonmarathonfoundation.com

RUNNING USA

 Source: Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. Date: November 9, 2014