How the Houston Rodeo 10K Works

In essence, the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run is a parade before the parade, with thousands of people donning their running shoes to take part. For the 2010 run, race organizers capped registration at 13,000 due to safety and congestion concerns. There were so many people excited about the race that race planners specifically asked that so-called bandits (unregistered runners) stay home.

The 10K and 5K runs start in downtown Houston at the corners of Texas Avenue and Smith Street. The competitive 10K starts first, with the non-competitive 5K fun run beginning a few minutes later. With the staggered start, there's reduced congestion and less likelihood that a casual 5K walker will be trampled by a faster 10K competitor.

The footraces blaze up the parade route for about three-quarters of a mile (about 1.2 kilometers). Then, after about a mile (1.6 kilometers), the 10K and 5K runs part ways, leaving the parade route and moving into different parts of downtown. Both runs and the parade all wind up at Minute Maid Park.

This is a special run for multiple reasons. For one, it's not a loop. It's the only large-scale, point-to-point run in Houston. Also, routes for both distances are planned carefully with runners' abilities in mind. The 5K route is completely flat.

10 k的路线,但是,确实有一18新利最新登入英里的迹象ificant elevation gain. These hills give runners a nice overlook to see the downtown skyline. Ultra-competitive runners looking to set records can do so here, because the 10K is sanctioned by USA Track & Field and the Gulf Association of USA Track & Field.

Overall, the race route is fairly tame, offering a flat, fast route that many experienced runners might use to set a personal record in the 10K event. Runners and walkers both receive an assist from the weather, too. In areas north of Texas, February would be a miserably cold time of year for a run. However, the average high temperature in Houston at that time is a mild 67 degrees Fahrenheit (19.4 degrees Celsius), and the average low is 48 degrees (8.9 degrees Celsius). That means cool conditions that make for comfortable, fun runs.

The end of the race doesn't mean the end of the fun. When runners arrive at Minute Maid Park, a gigantic post-race celebration starts. As the rodeo parade ends, parade participants and watchers descend on the party, too. Thousands of people mingle for hours after the primary events have ended.

With 5,500 people running frantically during the 10K, race organizers use high-tech products to track each person's time. Runners attach a disposable transponder tag to their race bibs. Electronic pads at the finish line provide an exact finishing time for every runner, although the overall men's and women's winners are timed the old-fashioned way, with a stopwatch and visual confirmation of them crossing the finish line. Because the 5K is a non-competitive event, participants aren't timed.

The 2010 10K featured some fast runners and some familiar faces. In the men's division, Sean Wade, age 41, was the overall winner, with a time of 31:27. Mary Davies, 27, won the women's division with a time of 35:32. Both winners are Houston residents, and this was the first win in this event for Davies.

Wade has won the Rodeo Run a whopping eight times. He first won the race in 1993, when he was 24 years old and finished in 30:44. He also holds the course record of 29:20, which he set in 1995.

Like many races, the Rodeo Run features a Master's division that includes runners age 40 and older. Rudy Rocha, 40, of Baytown, TX, won the men's Master's division in 2010 with his time of 34:19. Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, 50, won the Master's division on the women's side, by running 35:26. Ayala-Troncoso is no stranger to the winner's circle in Houston. She also won in 2005 and 2006, and in 2005, she set the Master's record with a 35:26.

The 2010 men's wheelchair winner was was Juan Rios, of Houston. He finished in 27:08. There were no female wheelchair racers in 2009 or 2010.

If the Rodeo Run 10K sounds sounds like a fun event, you may want to consider hitting Houston for the next event. The most comprehensive site you'll find for the race is at theConocoPhillips Rodeo RunWeb site. You'll see all of the registration and logistical information you'll need to add your name to the long list of race supporters.

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