Houston Half Preview: American Records In Jeopardy | Joe Klecker vs. Conner Mantz vs. Clayton Young; Weini Kelati Targets Sub-66

Before we get to Boston, the elite American [half-]marathoning circuit kicks off this Sunday in Houston, Texas, where fast times historically abound thanks to pancake flat topography, mild Texas “winters,” and top-tier talent converging from all across the country and world. And while the rest of us were deep in winter hibernation, plenty of the sport’s best and brightest spent their holiday season with one weekend in January circled on the calendar. CITIUS MAG’s been cooking up an exciting behind-the-scenes docuseries following Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, and Joe Klecker as they prepare for the Houston Half. [ Check out the trailer here , and stay tuned for the first episode, which premieres later today … like, subscribe, etcetera!] Klecker has already gone on record stating that the American record—59:43, set by Ryan Hall back at this same race in 2007— is something he’s been training toward in his debut at the distance. But perhaps the most likely American record performance may come from the very athlete who already holds the women’s mark: Weini Kelati . At Houston last year—are you sensing a trend here?—Kelati ran 1:06:25 in her debut at the distance, kicking off a banner year highlighted by an eighth-place finish in the Olympic 10,000m. With her confidence buoyed and another full year of training under her belt, Kelati seems poised for a big day. Chris Chavez chatted with Kelati’s coach, Stephen Haas , to check in on what fans might expect come Sunday, and learn a bit more about Kelati’s preparation with her Under Armour Mission Run Dark Sky Distance teammates in Flagstaff, Arizona. ( Read the full interview here .) SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SPOKANE SPORTS COMMISSION: In Spokane, Washington, there’s Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and now, Fast.. Fifth Season is hosting elite indoor track and field events all throughout January and February. All events take place at the Podium Powered by STCU, SPOCAN’s state-of-the-art indoor track facility. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more at SpokaneSports.com/FifthSeason⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time, runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more at WahooFitness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OLIPOP: I’ve got a question for you: how’s your Dry January going? Whether you’re crushing it or just dipping your toes in, our friends at Olipop are here to make it a lot more fun—and way more delicious. It’s not just another soda—it’s soda reimagined. Think of all the nostalgic flavors you love, but with way less sugar and a third of your daily fiber in every can. ⁠Get 25% off all your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.