On Wednesday, June 5 the Houston Marathon Committee and 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi celebrated National Running Day with hundreds of runners at Memorial Park. There were free t-shirts, music from the KRBE Jam Van, refreshments, snacks and a group run around the Park led by Meb.

It’s now been just over a week since National Running Day. The numbers have all been counted and we had some amazing results: hundreds of people celebrated National Running Day with us at Memorial Park, 600 pairs of shoes collected for SEARCH Homeless Services and $1100 was raised for One Fund Boston.  The Houston Marathon Committee and Houston Marathon Foundation together matched $10 for every dollar raised.

The opening of the lottery registration for the 2014 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon coincided with this coast-to-coast celebration, which occurs annually on the first Wednesday of June. Thousands of runners registered on the first day of the lottery which concludes on June 20th, and all runners will be notified by June 24th.

National Running Day is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. Wherever we are and whomever we’re with, we run—fast or slow, alone or with others, all over town or just around the block. It is a coast-to-coast celebration of a sport and activity that’s simple, inexpensive, and fun. It’s the perfect way for longtime runners to reaffirm their love of running and for beginners to kick off a lifetime and life-changing commitment.