Five Canadians announced as part of elite field for Houston Marathon

Update (Jan. 5, 2016): Canadian Running has received word that Mo Ahmed will not be running the half-marathon in Houston as previously announced.

Some of Canada’s finest distance runners will be flying down to Texas for the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half-Marathon on Jan. 17.

Five Canadians, including one 2015 Pan American medallist, were announced as part of the race’s elite fields.

Rachel Hannah, who received her Pan American marathon bronze medal at the Canadian cross-country championships in November, is in the Houston marathon field along with Vancouver resident Dayna Pidhoresky. Both represent New Balance.

RELATED: Canadians perform well at 2015 Houston Marathon.

Krista Duchene will contest the half-marathon, fresh off her win at the Tannenbaum 10K in Toronto, her first race on her road to Rio buildup.

Rob Watson and Brandon Lord, both of who trained together during the fall in Charlottesville, Va., will be running the half-marathon.

With the 2016 World Half-Marathon Championships in March, Canadians will be looking to get into the top three in order to earn a spot on the national team. Current Athletics Canada rankings can be found here.

RELATED: Canadian Sasha Gollish runs huge PB, hits world half standard in Texas.

The race will take place two days after the 17th anniversary of Jeff Schiebler setting the Canadian half-marathon record (1:01:28) at the Tokyo International Marathon on Jan. 15, 1999.

Lanni Marchant holds the Canadian women’s half-marathon record with a 1:10:47, set in 2014.

Full elite start list for the half-marathon and marathon (Canadians in bold):

Men’s Houston Marathon:

Ben Ashkettle (New Zealand)
Yitayal Atanfu (Ethiopia)
Girmay Birhanu Gebru (Ethiopia)
Sage Canaday (USA)
Steve Chu (USA)
Thomas Frazer (Ireland)
Birhanu Gedefa (Ethiopia)
Jovanny Godinez (USA)
Artur Kozlpwski (Poland)
Duncan Kwemboi (Ethiopia)
Mario Macias (USA)
Daniel Mesfun (Eritrea)
Pardon Ndhlovu (Zimbabwe)
Dominic Ondoro (Kenya)
Bazu Worku (Ethiopia)

Women’s Houston Marathon:

Polina Carlson (Russia)*
Ayantu Dakebo (Ethiopia)
Sechale Dalasa (Ethiopia)
Jovana De La Cruz (Peru)
Biruktait Degefa (Ethiopia)
Rachel Hannah (Canada)
Ariana Hilborn (Latvia)
Liina Luik (Estonia)
Leila Luik (Estonia)
Faviola Perez Igari (Mexico)
Dayna Pidhoresky (Canada)
Emily Samoei (Kenya)
Guteni Shone (Ethiopia)
Lisa Weightman (Australia)

*Has no affiliation with Russian Athletic Federation and is clear to compete.

Men’s Houston Half-Marathon:

Mo Ahmed (Canada)(Note: No longer racing)
George Alex (USA)
Tom Anderson (Great Britain)
Kyle Brady (USA)
Sylas Chebogel (Kenya)
Josh Dedering (USA)
Lelisa Desisa (Ethiopia)
Jeffrey Eggleston (USA)
Diego Estrada (USA)
Ben Fletcher (USA)
Tanner Fruit (USA)
Samson Gebreyohannes (Eritrea)
Abdi Ali Gelchu (Ethiopia)
Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia)
Patrick Gomez (USA)
Griffith Graves (USA)
Mo Hrezi (USA)
Cory Keehn (USA)
Sean Keveren (USA)
Craig Leon (USA)
Brandon Lord (Canada)
Nelson Mokori Oyugi (Kenya)
Tommy Neal (USA)
Ben Payne (USA)
Luke Puskedra (USA)
Phillip Reid (USA)
Patrick Rizzo (USA)
Biya Simbassa (USA)
Ismail Ssenyange (Uganda)
Christian Thomspon (USA)
Carlos Trujillo (USA)
Jacob Wanjuki (Kenya)
Rob Watson (Canada)
Matt Williams (USA)
Jason Witt (USA)

Women’s Houston Half-Marathon:

Ruti Aga (Ethiopia)
Obsie Birru (USA)
Juliet Bottoroff (USA)
Serena Burla (USA)
Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia)
Misiker Demissie (Ethiopia)
Colleen De Reuck (USA)
Mare Dibaba (Ethiopia)
Krista Duchene (Canada)
Lindsay Flanagan (USA)
Emily Gordon (USA)
Alia Gray (USA)
Maegan Krifchin (USA)
Cynthia Limo (Kenya)
Katie Matthews (USA)
Samantha McClellan (USA)
Katy Moen (USA)
Sarah Pagano (USA)
Meghan Peyton (USA)
Simret Restle (Germany)
Jen Rhines (USA)
Mona Stockhecke (Germany)
Susanna Sullivan (USA)
Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton (Kenya)
Mary Wacera (Kenya)
Katherine Ward (USA)
Jessica Watychowicz (USA)
Anna Weber (USA)
Nazret Weldu (Eritrea)
Kelly Williamson (USA)