by Dave Ross  All four winners erased the course records at Sunday's Houston Marathon and Half Marathon. Etiopians swept each of the top spots.

Race conditions were perfect, with a temperature of 52 degrees F at the start to greet a record 20,000finishers in the event’s three races.

“The 40^th anniversary is a significant milestone,” said Brant Kotch, president and race director of the Houston Marathon Committee. “When you think of how far we’ve come, from 113 runners in Memorial Park to more than 20,000 participants in three races spanning the city, anything is possible.”

PHOTO: Start of the Houston Marathon...photos by Dustin Whitlow

In the marathon, 27-year-old Tariku Jufar won the men’s race in 2:06:51, bettering the mark of 2:07:04 set just last year by countryman Bekana Daba, and 26-year-old Alemitu Abera triumphed in 2:23:14 to break the 2010 record set by Teyba Erkesso.

It was the sixth consecutive year that an Ethiopian woman took the marathon crown here, and the fourth year in a row for the men.

In the men’s race a pack of four went through 10K together in 29:54, and when they all hit the halfway point together in 1:03:08 it was obvious that the course record was in jeopardy.

Three Ethiopians battled for the podium spots. By 35K, Tsega was being left behind, and moments later Jufar made a huge move. Tolossa fought back gamely, but Jufar broke away and ran alone to the finish. Tolossa followed in 2:07:41, a personal best by more than two minutes.

Wow...there was some top notch racing the day following the trials in Houston!!
Bob Anderson 1/17/12 10:13 pm

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Jufar, who demolished his previous personal best of 2:08:10, set in 2008. A year later, he was badly injured when he was struck by a car while training in Addis Ababa,but this indicates that he has fully recovered.

The women’s race was not as close, with Aberaleading from the gun, building up a 16-second lead by 5K that grew to more than three minutes at the half over Ethiopia’s Yihunlish Delelecha, who had been joined by Australia’s Benita Willis. In the end, Willis would pull away for second in 2:28:24, a time that almost guarantees that she will be selected to Australia’s 2012 Olympic squad.

In the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, Feyisa Lelisa and Belaynesh Oljira broke course records : Lelisa’s 59:22 edged the mark set by American Ryan Hall (59:43) in 2007, while Oljira’s winning time of 1:08:26 shattered the mark set by American Shalane Flanagan (1:09:41).

The 21-year-old Lelisa, who won the bronze medal last summer in the 2011 IAAF World Championships marathon had little trouble with the field. Ethiopian Tilahun Regassa was runner-up, in 1:01:28, with American Scott Bauhs following closely in a personal best 1:01:30. In fourth was University of Oregon senior Luke Puskedra in 1:01:36 running in his half-marathon debut.

The women’s race was another matter. Oljira and Kenya’s Caroline Kilel, winner of the 2011 Boston Marathon, ran together the entire race, with Oljira using her 10,000-meter speed to get the win in a narrow sprint victory.

Joan Samuelson, 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, finished in 1:38:03.