Houston Masters Sports Association

A 26.2 kilometer running event

7 a.m. Sunday, November 13, 2011

Fish Plaza at Wortham Center in Downtown Houston

Presented by Houston Masters Sports Association (HMSA)

Benefiting The Cenikor Foundation

In accordance with guidelines issued by USA Track and Field and Road Runners Club of America, only runners and wheelchairs can be allowed on the course.  The race is sanctioned by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).  Guidelines exclude runners going backwards, animals, bicycles, baby strollers, baby joggers, headphones and skateboards.  No wheeled vehicles are allowed other than wheelchairs.  It is not our intent to censure the few who might wish to participate with their child or on a wheeled vehicle; rather, our intent is to furnish the safest possible racecourse and to provide the runner with the sanction advertised for this event.  Those who participate in a non-sanctioned manner will be removed from the course. 

Wheelchair participants will be bound by competition rules for athletics as issued by Wheelchair Track and Field, USA (WTFUSA), the national governing body of Wheelchair Sports, USA.

• When:   7 a.m. Sunday, November 13, 2011
• Where: Downtown Houston with a start and finish at Wortham Center (Texas Avenue @ Smith St.), one of Houston’s performing-arts venues.
• Who:   All properly trained runners may enter.  However, if you cannot complete the 26.2 kilometer course under potentially warm and humid conditions in 3 hours and 30 minutes, entry is not recommended.  This time approximates a 6-hour marathon pace

• Certification number for the Texas Metric Marathon is TX11125ETM.   The course is a small loop through downtown followed by three out-and-back loops on Memorial Drive and is mainly on concrete. 

•  The course will close at 10:30 a.m.  If you have not completed the event, you will be asked by Houston police to leave the street.

•  There are water stations approximately every 2 miles.

•  Qualified EMT and AED personnel are available at the finish line and along the course through radio communication.

•  Elapsed times and pace will be called at each mile.

Regular:  $40 before October 21, 2011

Late:  $45 on October 21, 2011 or later

  There will be an additional $1.00 fee if you want your packet mailed. 

Seniors 65 or older can deduct $5 from the entry fee.

NOTE:  ONLY CASH AND CHECKS CAN BE ACCEPTED AT PACKET PICKUP/LATE REGISTRATION.

Metric Marathon

A long-sleeved Technical shirt will be awarded to all official finishers of HMSA’s Texas Metric Marathon.  Because one-third of our entries register on the last three days before the race, your requested shirt size may not be available.

Cash awards will be given in the Metric Marathon to the first-place ($100), second-place ($75) and third-place ($50) open and masters winners, both male and female.  These winners will also receive a commemorative plaque. 

Age-group awards:  First-, second- and third-place awards will be given to male and female winners in the following age groups:  12-15, 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+.

NOTE:  THERE WILL BE NO DUPLICATION OF AWARDS.

On any and all matters relating to conduct of the race, the race director’s decision will be final.

HARRA competition and teams:  Registered HARRA members will be competing for points toward Runner of the Season status in open and masters male and female age-group and team categories of the Metric Marathon only. HARRA points will be awarded based on chip times. 

Awards are made based on gun time. 

The Metric Marathon uses the ChronoTrack scoring system with the B-tag.  The tag will be on the reverse side of your number when you receive it.  You do not need to do anything with it, but do not fold it or cut it off.      

In order for results to be tabulated on a timely basis, no official times will be taken after 3 hours and 30 minutes.  Water stations and course security will be removed accordingly.

Packets will be mailed to runners whose registration is postmarked before October 15, 2011.  If your registration form is postmarked on October 15, 2011 or later, you must pick up your packet at one of the times shown below.

Late registration can be done at packet pickup.  Entry fee at late registration is $45, $42 for HARRA members and $40 for seniors 65 years or older.  Only checks and cash can be accepted at late registration.

There is no race-day registration or packet pickup and there are no exceptions.

•    You may change your event prior to race morning

•    If you decide to run the full 26.2K race and not the relay, you must pay the difference in the race fee.

•  If you decide to run the relay instead of the Metric Marathon, there will be no refund.

For further information contact Paul Cooley at 713-665-3800 or hmsa@houstonmasters.org.

Online registration at http://www.eztoregister.com/events

will close at 8 p.m. on November 8, 2011.

Race sponsorship and management are by Houston Masters Sports Association.