Race History
A Texas running
tradition is born.
The first Woodlands Marathon took place in 1979 with 225 runners, challenging weather and the beginning of a race runners would remember for decades.
Houston’s Arlen Isham recalled running alone near mile 21 while holding a 3:30 pace. Tony Ashton won the inaugural race in 2:39:06, while Gail Sabanosh claimed the women’s title in 3:24:33 after battling rain, wind and painful feet.
History by Jon Walk, with research support from Bill Dwyer.
Miles through
the years.
From record-setting performances to the event’s return, each era helped shape the race that exists today.
The first start
The inaugural Woodlands Marathon welcomes 225 runners. Tony Ashton and Gail Sabanosh become the first champions.
A benchmark performance
Dave Reinhart runs 2:24:48, a time long regarded as the original event’s standard—even though complete historical files no longer survive.
The race grows faster
Charles “Chuck” Frawley wins in 2:29:54, and Mary Jane Haggerty lowers the women’s mark to 3:07:20.
An Olympian wins
Swedish-born Lamar University star Midde Hamrin wins in 2:34:28, then places 18th in the inaugural women’s Olympic Marathon in 1984.
The original era ends
The marathon and companion 10K had grown to approximately 1,300 participants before the original event folded after its fifteenth running.
Bring it back
The Woodlands Marathon returns, reconnecting a new generation of athletes with the community’s running tradition.
The memories
never disappeared.
Results files may have been lost, but runners kept the original race alive through the stories they carried forward.
Bill Dwyer remembered the 1980 race beginning at McCullough High School and finishing at The Woodlands Inn and Country Club. Vans carried runners to the start on a cold morning touched by light snow flurries. After finishing his first marathon in 3:44, he said he would never run another—then returned the next year and improved by twenty minutes.
The original race also supported The Woodlands Track Club and the South Montgomery County YMCA, establishing a community-minded purpose that continues in the modern event.
History is still
being made.
The equipment, registration process and race apparel have changed. The constant is the athlete who accepts the challenge and reaches the finish.
Built for runners
From first-time participants to elite athletes, every runner adds a new chapter to the event.
Rooted in community
The race brings athletes, volunteers, charities, sponsors and spectators together across The Woodlands.
Moving forward
The modern event honors its origins while continuing to raise the standard for race weekend.
