Nike Cross Regionals South Report - #NXR #NXRSOUTH

Great day working - and race announcing - the Nike Cross Regionals South at Bear Branch Sports Park in The Woodlands this morning.

The team thinks that the crowds were way up as cars were parked up and down Research Forest - am sure some residents will be ringing up The Township over that!

Have definitely got to say that the team that produces Nike South and NXR South is one of the best to work with.  For me, I get the honor of saying I get to announce for one of the top boys high school cross country programs in America.

And when you work with the best, you have to elevate your game.  It was a solid day for me.  My vantage point at the finish kept me from having some of my best finish line calls, but they got the job done today.

Great teams provide great support, though.

Coach Shawn Hamilton gets the sound setup - and continues to make improvements - and arranges for upbeat music to be played throughout the meet.  The best timers in Texas, RunFAR USA, with Raul Najera and Graham Schooley working the meet today, ensure quick, accurate results.  Things were so smooth today that Raul was taking video on Facebook Live.

The Woodlands HS Boys Cross Country booster club is incredible.  They're so friendly, giving and hard-working.  It is such a joy and pleasure to work with, represent and be a part of their team.

This includes starter Wayne Rutledge, Tim Vibrock and the Golden family (Kevin and Kelley).  Henrita van Wyngaarden has been routinely volunteering meet after meet as well.

Great to see Tom Sherwood today as well as the McHales - father Tom (and Penn Stater) and his daughter Liz and the holder of a pair of Guinness World Records Calum Neff.

The other local Guinness World Record holder Ronnie Delzer was in the park watching, having run for East Carolina in his athletic past.

Texas Independence Relay race directors Jay and Joy Hilscher were there from Austin to see their son run.  I think he might have been the only one to cross in a TIR shirt.  (The yellow one.)

The people - Kate and Matt - that come out from Nike are super easy to work with - and it is very, very easy to get on the same page as them and work to take care of the sponsor relationship.

I've been fortunate enough to interview over the last five years - Leo Manzano, Chris Derrick, Emily Infeld, Mary Cain and today, Hassan Mead, U.S. Olympian in the 5,000 meters.  What a nice guy!  He did such a great job interacting with the kids.  (Saw Bernard Lagat, who he lost to in the US Olympic Trials by 20/100'ths of a second, was at #NXR Southwest today.)

The person that really provides me with the information to walk on to the property as prepared as possible is John Sullivan, best known by everyone as "Sully".  John does all of the seeding.  I get a data file on Wednesday with all of the racers, which this year totaled a little over 1,800.

Through some combined research work, I'm able to share with those in attendance that there were 20 state champions and 46 runners who finished in the top three of their state meet present today.

Super job by The Woodlands High School Junior ROTC program for their perfect presentation of the colors this morning and this senior from Liberty University that I happen to know - Waverly - did a really solid and beautiful job with the National Anthem this morning - after landing at about 10 p.m. last night.

And while I had known Coach Dan Green through a sportswriter friend that covered cross country for The Courier and the Houston Chronicle for many years, the late Scott Kaiser, I always appreciate JoAnn Blakeley for making the introduction to Coach Juris Green more than five years ago.

Cross country meets are exhausting to work compared to a road race, but I always seem to walk away satisfied from working these meets as well as those - UIL Region III and UIL Region III Preview - produced by the Sam Houston State cross country and track and field programs, led by David Self, the last two seasons.

No rest for the weary, though.  La Porte By The Bay Half Marathon in the morning!  :-)

Texas Half Marathon Report; November 12-13, 2016

Nine half marathons across Texas this weekend sent 4,763 runners across finish lines to push the statewide 2016 finisher's count over 90,000.

The Cypress Half Marathon, although down 21.5 percent from a year ago, led the way with 1,494 total finishers (relay teams count as one finisher each), while the South Padre Island Half Marathon was second with 1,163 finishers.

The two half marathons increased the total number of half marathon in Texas this year with over 1,000 finishers to 17.

Produced by Onurmark Productions, the Cypress Half Marathon is currently the 12th largest half marathon so far this year.  Its Katy Half Marathon, run in early February, sits in the 10th position.

The South Padre Island Half Marathon, which started a year ago, was off 30 percent in its total number of half marathon finishers on Saturday -- 1,663 to 1,163.

Dallas' Trinity River Run Half Marathon increased by nearly 80 percent its number of finishers from 302 a year ago to 542 on Sunday, largely as a result of more than double the number of female runners.

The third annual Harlingen Half Marathon & Relay saw a 29 percent decline in its total number of individual finishers on Sunday as 513 crossed the finish line in Fair Park after 724 did so last year.

Through Sunday, 146 events - both road and trail races - with defined half marathon distances have produced 94,362 finishers to date.

Harbor Half Marathon Official Finishers

2005 -   94
2006 - 136 +   55
2007 - 187 +   68
2008 - 253 + 111
2009 - 329 + 155
2010 - 421 + 217 /   76
2011 - 394 + 216 /   81
2012 - 364 + 197 / 146
2013 - 419 + 170 / 132 /   58
2014 - 471 + 177 / 217 / 115
2015 - 394 + 126 / 177 /   86
2016 - 318 +   91 / 182 /   73

Half marathon plus relays, 10K and 5K

2016 Texas 10-Mile Finishers Numbers

2,980 - Austin 10/20, 4/3/16 (1,020 men, 1,960 women)
1,876 - Run For The Water, Austin, 11/6/16 (837 men, 1,039 women)
1,760 - Ten For Texas, The Woodlands, 10/8/16 (796 men, 964 women)
419 - Space City 10-Miler, Houston, 10/9/16
412 - Texas 10 Cypress, 10/9/16 (includes 3 unofficial)

402 - Space City 10-Miler, Houston, 2/21/16
400 - Texas 10 College Station, 1/31/16
350 - Texas 10 Sienna, 4/24/16
263 - Texas 10 Huntsville, 9/25/16
215 - Texas 10 Boerne, 4/3/16

Texas' Top 25 10-Mile Times of 2016

Men

0:47:56 - Kenneth Rotich, 25, Grand Prairie, Austin 10/20
0:47:59 - Stanley Boen, 37, Grand Prairie, Austin 10/20
0:48:07 - Peter Chebii, 37, Grand Prairie, Austin 10/20
0:48:41 - Alfred Kiplagat, 27, Georgetown, Austin 10/20
0:48:57 - Henry Lelei, 27, Bryan, Austin 10/20

0:49:08 - Benjamin Metto, 40, Georgetown, Austin 10/20
0:49.12 - Philipp Baar, 24, Corpus Christi, Texas 10 Conroe
0:50:07 - Will Nation, 24, Austin, Austin 10/20
0:50:13 - Biya Simbassa, Space City 10-Miler (February)
0:51:02 - Ryan Miller, 24, Conroe, Texas 10 Boerne

0:51:18 - Drew Soucy, 27, Austin, Austin 10/20
0:51:50 - Ryan Miller, 24, Spring, Texas 10 Conroe
0:51:52 - David Justus, Space City 10-Miler (February)
0:51:56 - Mark Pinales, 23, Round Rock, Run For The Water
0:52:04 - Adam Godwin, 24, Spring, Texas 10 Conroe

0:52:13 - Drew Bean, Space City 10-Miler (February)
0:52:13 - Maximo Mendoza, Pearland, Ten For Texas
0:52:13 - Abinet Adravo, 29, Space City 10-Miler (October)
0:52:33 - Geoff Speelman, The Woodlands, Ten For Texas
0:52:43 - Carlos Arias, 22, Houston, Space City 10-Miler (October)

0:53:17 - Ryan Miller, 24, Conroe, Texas 10 Sienna
0:53:26 - Austin Duckworth, 26, Austin, Austin 10/20
0:53:38 - Michael Gillis, 28, Pearland, Texas 10 Sienna
0:53:45 - Adam Saloom, 26, Houston, Space City 10-Miler (October)
0:54:11 - Brock Moreaux, Space City 10-Miler (February)

Women

0:55:45 - Mia Behm, 26, Austin, Austin 10/20
0:56:45 - Mary Davies, Houston, Space City 10-Miler (February)
0:56:48 - Kelsey Bruce, 23, Dallas, Austin 10/20
0:57:45 - Anita Perez, 33, Universal City, Austin 10/20
0:58:17 - Hillary Montgomery, 23, Spring, Texas 10 Sienna

0:58:41 - Samantha McClellan, The Woodlands, Ten For Texas
0:59:41 - Lauren Stroud, 25, Lake Jackson, Space City 10-Miler (October)
0:59:51 - Megan Saloom 28, Houston, Texas 10 Conroe
0:59:55 - Megan Saloom, 28, Houston, Space City 10-Miler (October)
1:00:08 - Caitlin Keen, 23, Fort Worth, Austin 10/20

1:00:26 - Liza Hunter Galvan, 46, San Antonio, Austin 10/20
1:00:33 - Megan Mueller, 31, Austin, Austin 10/20
1:01:18 - Jen Frankmann, 31, Richardson, Austin 10/20
1:01:24 - Rexi Parcells, 23, Austin, Austin 10/20
1:02:35 - Kaitlyn Johnson, 23, Austin, Run For The Water

1:02:41 - Amanda Jenkins, 25, Space City 10-Miler (October)
1:02:54 - Peggy Yetman, 48, Spring, Ten For Texas
1:02:57 - Emily Daum, Space City 10-Miler (February)
1:03:01 - Amanda Cruse, Livingston, Ten For Texas
1:03:14 - Amber Reber, 31, Austin, Austin 10/20

1:04:21 - Kristine Burciaga, 27, San Antonio, Texas 10 Boerne
1:04:36 - Desiree (Ficker) Berry, 39, Austin, Run For The Water
1:04:41 - Desiree (Ficker) Berry, 39, Austin, Austin 10/20
1:04:47 - Jackie Tobin, 36, Space City 10-Miler (October)
1:05:09 - Susan Brooks, 39, Katy, Texas 10 Conroe*
1:05:18 - Sarah Jackson, 27, Austin, Austin 10/20

Gazelle Foundation Run For The Water 10-Miler Finishers Numbers

10-Mile
2007 - 1,404 (724 men / 680 women)
2008 - 1,134 (610 men / 524 women)
2009 - 1,058 (526 men / 532 women)
2010 - 1,023 (454 men / 569 women)
2011 - 1,464 (689 men / 775 women) *included Barefoot and Wheelchair divisions
2012 - 1,931 (878 men / 1,053 women)
2013 - 1,837 (869 men / 968 women)
2014 - 2,044 (910 men / 1,134 women)
2015 - 2,073 (984 men / 1,089 women)
2016 - 1,876 (837 men / 1,039 women)

Companion 5K
2008 - 262
2009 - 483
2010 - 621
2011 - 822
2012 - 1,079
2013 - 1,155
2014 - 1,565
2015 - 1,844
2016 - 1,507

Total
2007 - 1,404
2008 - 1,296
2009 - 1,541
2010 - 1,644
2011 - 2,286
2012 - 3,010
2013 - 2,992
2014 - 3,609
2015 - 3,917
2016 - 3,396