Debutant marathoner James Ngandu may have been new to the 42 kilometer distance, but his poise and confidence were on display during the later stages of the races. 

 

The 50th Anniversary for the Chevron Houston Marathon was one for the ages as seven athletes were in contention for the win with less than 2 miles to go.

 

Near the 40 kilometer mark, Abdi Abdo of Ethiopia made a decisive move that was only countered by Ngandu. With separation from the field, the two athletes dueled for the next kilometer until Ngandu was able to pull away for the victory in a time of 2:11:03.

 

"The weather definitely played a factor in the race and allowed for more people to be competitive. I think we would have run faster if conditions were better," said Ngandu.

 

With temperatures in the low 30's at race time and wind gusts from 13 to 15 miles per hour throughout the middle of the race, the weather mitigated any big moves early.

 

The Houston Marathon is held annually on the third Sunday in January.