This Privacy Policy applies to the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc., and the Houston Marathon Foundation, Inc. (along with all subsidiaries, affiliates, successors and assigns thereof, referred to hereinafter collectively as “Houston Marathon Committee”, “Houston Marathon Foundation”, “Chevron Houston Marathon”, “Aramco Houston Half Marathon”, “We Are Houston 5K”, “HMC”, “HMF”, “We”, “Our”, and/or “Us”) our websites, newsletters, registration pages, mobile apps, social media pages/profiles/feeds and services.  We may refer to you as “You” or “Your” or “Yourself.”

We know that you care about your information and we know that privacy online is important to you. This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) governs our privacy practices with respect to: (i) visitors to our site who may visit our website for any reason and (ii) users who visit our site to make use of the various services (collectively “Services”) offered by HMC and HMF (“Visitors” or “Users,” respectively) and (iii) individuals registering as participants/volunteers for HMC and HMF events.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your Personal Data and providing you with notice about what information we collect and how it is used, what choices you have regarding the collection of this date, use and distribution of that information, the security procedures we implement to protect that information and what access you may have to correct any inaccurate information we have collected.

Please review this Policy carefully. If you do not agree with this policy and our practices, you may contact us using the “Contact Us” section at the bottom of this policy. Please also understand that it is ultimately your choice to use or not use our Site and Services.

Who are we and what do we do?

The Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC) is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization that plans the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon, We Are Houston 5K and related events.

The Houston Marathon Foundation, Inc. (HMF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is separate, but associated with the HMC and supports the advancement of running as an element of a balanced, healthy lifestyle in the Houston community and nationally. The HMF hosts two annual family fun run events each year.

What is Personal Data and How Do We Collect It?

Personal Data is any information that identifies or relates to an identifiable individual. We store information that you voluntarily enter on our website, on our registration forms, and provide to us in any other way, such as via email, online, telephone or otherwise.

What Personal Data Do We Collect?

  • Registration and Purchasing Products/Services
    • During the registration process for our events as a participant (“participant”) or as a volunteer (“volunteer”), we and our third-party vendors collect and retain the Personal Data that you voluntarily submit to us, which may include:
      • Name
      • Mailing Address
      • Age
      • Date of Birth
      • Telephone Number
      • Citizenship
      • Account and Payment Information
      • Email Address
    • This Personal Data may be used, for example, to communicate with you regarding our events and your participation in our events or your involvement as a volunteer.
  • Customer Service Support
    Through Customer Support, we may collect Personal Data during correspondence with you.
  • Race Day Tracking
    We provide Participants with race bibs that contain a device designed to record runner race times at various physical location points over a given race course for purposes of timing and scoring Participants’ Events. Participants therefore generate this additional type of data, which concerns the Participants’ physical location at a particular time and in a particular place during our events which is then shared on the Event results site (the “Results Data”). If you do not want to record such information, you may remove the timing device on the back of your bib by peeling off the thin tag with your race number. If you would like your results data and information removed from our website, you may contact us using the “Contact Us” section below.
  • Third-Party Vendors
    The HMC has third-party vendors that may also collect information from you on our behalf for products and services.  All credit card information collected by third-party vendors is kept encrypted and is only accessible for a short time. The Houston Marathon Committee never has access to this financial information.
  • For example, our registration vendor, haku APP Corporation, Inc., collects your Personal Data and financial information in order to register you for our road racing events.  Click Here to review the privacy policy for haku and how your information is protected.
  • Website and Cookie Policy
    • We and our service providers may collect Other Information in a variety of ways, including:
      • Through a browser or device:  Certain information is collected by most browsers or automatically through devices, such as computer type (Windows or Mac), screen resolution, operating system name and version, device manufacturer and model, language, Internet browser type and version and the name and version of the Services being used.  We use this information to ensure that the Services function properly;
      • Cookies:  Cookies are small text files that are stored directly by your browser on the computer or mobile phone being used.  Cookies allow us to collect information such as user preferences, browser type, pages visited, and other anonymous website traffic data.  We and our service providers use the information for security purposes, to facilitate navigation, to display information more effectively, and to personalize the user experience.  Declining cookies may mean that you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. Most browsers allow individuals to automatically decline cookies or be given the choice of declining or accepting cookies from a particular website. Please refer to http://www.allaboutcookies.org for more information;
      • Pixel tags and other similar technologies:  Pixel tags (also known as web bugs and clear GIF images) are small blocks of code that allow websites to read and place cookies on your browser and may be used to, track the actions of users (including email recipients), measure the success of our marketing campaigns and compile statistics about usage amongst other things; and
      • Analytics: We use Google Analytics, a service that transmits website traffic to Google servers in the United States. Google Analytics does not identify individual users or associate your IP address with any other data help by Google. We use reports provided by Google to collect and analyze information about website usage and report on activities and trends.  You can learn about Google’s practices by going to www.google.com/policies/privacy/ partners/__.

Other Information That May Be Collected

The following information, some of which has been previously mentioned, may be collected as a visitor to our website and forms, but does not reveal your identity or directly relate to you as an individual.

  • Browser and device information;
  • App usage data;
  • Information collected through cookies, pixel tags and other technologies;
  • Demographic information and other information provided by you that does not reveal a person’s specific identity;
  • Survey responses and similar information which reveals views and preferences, but which does not reveal a person’s specific identity.

Way use and disclose this information for the purposes for which we use and disclose Personal Data as is detailed in this Privacy Policy.

Social Networking and Other Data That May Be Collected

You may choose to engage with our Site though video, applications, and other offerings, on or through third-party social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or third-party social media plug-ins and applications. When you engage with our Site or through third-party social networking sites, plug-ins, and applications, you may allow Us to have access to certain information from your social media profile (for example, name, email address, photo, gender, birthday, location, your list of friends, people you follow and/or who follow you, your posts or ‘likes’) to deliver the content or as part of the operation of the application.

We may also obtain non-personally identifiable information (for example, content viewed, running performance, and information about advertisements within the content you have been shown or may have clicked on) from your interaction with our content. We may combine information which we obtain directly through social networking sites or applications with information we obtain directly through the HMC Sites or from other sources.

When you allow us to access information from your social media account, it can enable us to do things like: (i) deliver exclusive content to you, (ii) personalize your online experience with us within and outside our applications or web sites, and (iii) contact you through the social networking sites or directly using your information. By engaging with our Site through social networking sites or applications, you consent to the use of this information in accordance with this Policy.

Additionally, when you provide information in publicly visible areas of social networking sites or applications, it may be viewed by other members of these sites and we cannot prevent further use of the Information.

Use of Personal Data

  • Our Use
    We use Personal Data to facilitate your race registration and participation and to ensure you have safe and enjoyable experience. This data may be used for the following business purposes:

    • Providing notifications concerning our events and organization, including, but not limited to athlete race guides, race bib assignment information, updates about our events, offers from the HMC/HMF and our partners, administrative updates;
    • Providing and enhancing the functionality of our services and products;
    • answering frequently asked questions;
    • responding to customer service requests;
    • enhancing your event experience;
    • in case of medical emergencies during your participation at our events;
    • track and record your event results;
    • ensure the safety of all participants and volunteers;
    • data analysis;
    • internal audits to evaluate our processes and requirements;
    • developing new events; and
    • marketing purposes, identifying usage trends and the determining the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and meeting the interests of our users.The HMC, HMF and our partners have a legitimate interest in using this data to ensure a safe event for all.We may also use your Personal Data to send marketing communications such as by sending you newsletters – with your consent of where we have a  legitimate interest.

Disclosure of Personal Data

  •  Third Parties
    From time to time we may share Personal Data with third parties to facilitate the services they provide to us. These service providers may include registration collection providers, vendors, contractors, sponsors, website hosting, data analysis, payment processing, email delivery services, and others to whom we are contractually associated or those that require the information in the course of providing a service.
  • Other Uses and Disclosures
    We may release account and other Personal Data when we are required to do so by law, court order, subpoena or other government or law enforcement authority or regulatory agency, in order to enforce or apply our Services Agreement or other agreements, or when we believe in good faith that disclosing this information is necessary or advisable, including for example, to protect the rights, property, or safety of the HMC, HMF, our users, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, credit risk reduction or other similar purposes.Personal Data may be stored and processed in any country where we have facilities or in which we engage service providers, including the United States, and by using our Services you understand that your information may be transferred to countries outside of your country of residence, including the United States, which may have data protection rules that are different from those of your country. In certain circumstances, courts, law enforcement agencies or regulatory agencies in those countries may be entitled to access Personal Data.    In addition, we may use, disclose or transfer Personal Data to a third party in the event of any reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or any portion of our business (including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings).
  • Medical Information and Personal Data
    We do not collect medical or health data at the time of registration.  Participants may, however, tell us that they would like to participate in the Athletes with Disabilities program – this information is used only to the extent necessary to facilitate any disability accommodations.In the event a participant seeks medical attention during an event, personnel at medical aid stations may collect and store individually personal medical information during this encounter.
  • Personal Data and Your Race Results Data
    Your Results Data is used to record your performance in one of our events for timing and scoring purposes. It is standard practice in the road racing industry to use some of the information you provided during the registration process, like your age and gender to score you properly and provide official result to you for your participation in one of the HMC events.  Results Data is posted to our Site as it becomes available and/or is verified by us. If You are participating in an Event for which there is an online application for “real time” Participant time and location progress, your Results Data will become immediately available (and searchable by your Name or your bib number) to any visitor to our Site interested in tracking your results. Results Data remains on our Site indefinitely.  If you wish to participate and do not wish to record a finish time, you may remove the timing device on the back of your bib. For further questions, please contact marathon@houstonmarathon.com.
  • Sites other than HoustonMarathon.com
    The HMC has no control over and is not responsible for the privacy policies or information gathering practices of other websites, including those to which may link to us or from us.  We strongly recommend that you review the privacy policies of every online service that you use before submitting Personal Data.

How Your Information Is Protected

Protecting the security of your Information is very important to us. When you transmit sensitive Information from your computer to our servers, your information is protected by both a “firewall” (a combination of computer hardware and software that helps keep unauthorized individuals and/or entities from accessing Information within our computer network) and industry standard SSL (secure socket layer) encryption. Once we receive your Information, we will take reasonable precautions to secure and protect the Information on our systems. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be 100% secure and, accordingly, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any Information you disclose or transmit to us online. However, we strive to protect your information and privacy.

We will not sell, share or rent any financial information collected from you except as disclosed in this Privacy Policy or as necessary to fulfill any order for our products or services. Any financial information collected directly by the HMC is destroyed immediately upon processing.

How to Access, Change or Delete Your Personal Data

During the registration process, you will be asked to consent to receive marketing communications from us. You will be able to opt in or opt out of those communications.

If you currently receive newsletters and no longer wish to receive them and other marketing communications, you may opt out by using the link provided at the bottom of each e-newsletter or by contacting us using the “Contact Us” section found at the bottom of this Privacy Policy.

If you would like to request to review, correct, update, restrict or delete Personal Data that you have previously provided to us or if you would like to request to receive an electronic copy of your Personal Data for purposes of transmitting it to another company (to the extent this right of transferability is provided to you by applicable law), you may contact us as described in the “Contact Us” section below.  We will respond consistent with applicable law.

In your request, please make clear what Personal Data you would like to have changed, whether you would like to have the Personal Data suppressed from our database or otherwise let us know which of the above limitations you would like to put on our use of the Personal Data. For your protection, we may only implement requests with respect to the Personal Data associated with the particular email address that you use to send us your request, and we may need to verify your identity before implementing your request.

We will attempt to comply with your request as soon as reasonably practicable.

Please note that we may need to retain certain information for recordkeeping purposes and/or to complete any transactions that you began prior to requesting a change or deletion.

Retention of Data

We retain Personal Data and Other Data as long as is needed or permitted in order to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. For example, results data is kept with no intention of removing it in order to analyze the participation of and honor those who have completed multiple events for our organization; in addition, there are applicable laws and business practices that require the retention of certain data for a minimum number of years.

Privacy Policy Updates

We will inform our Users and Visitors of changes to this Policy by posting such changes on our Site. However, if we are changing this Policy in a manner that might cause disclosure of Information We previously advised would not be disclosed, We will contact our Users to allow such Users to prevent such disclosure. Continued use of our website signifies acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

Choice of Law

This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to any principles of conflicts of law. You agree that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating to this Policy shall be filed only in the state or federal courts located in Harris County and State of Texas, and you hereby consent and submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purposes of litigating any action and waive any claim that such courts are an inconvenient forum for such actions.

Children’s Privacy Policy

Our websites are intended for general use by a broad and mature audience. No individual under the age of eighteen (18) is permitted to provide any Personal Data via registration for our events without the express consent of a parent/legal guardian. We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of eighteen (18).

Limitation of Liability

THE HOUSTON MARATHON COMMITTEE, INC.  ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY WITH REGARD TO ANY THEFT, LOSS, ALTERATION OR MISUSE OF PERSONAL OR OTHER INFORMATION FULLY PROVIDED BY HOUSTONMARATHON.COM TO THIRD PARTIES, OR WITH REGARD TO THE FAILURE OF ANY THIRD PARTY TO ABIDE BY THIS PRIVACY POLICY OR SUCH THIRD PARTY’S PRIVACY POLICY OR ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THAT THIRD PARTY AND HOUSTONMARATHON.COM.

Tax Deductible Information

The Houston Marathon Committee is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, contributions made to the HMC ARE NOT deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Houston Marathon Foundation, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, contributions made to the HMC ARE deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact us at marathon@houstonmarathon.com or 713-957-3453 during regular business hours. You may also reach us using our mailing address: 720 North Post Oak Rd. Suite 200, Houston, Texas 77024.

Last Updated: May 30, 2018