"I'm thrilled to be returning to Houston for my next attempt at the marathon," said Gotcher (left, PhotoRun), a graduate of Stanford University. "The entire Houston Marathon Committee has been so supportive over the years and I'm thankful to be racing there again this year. I have so many good memories from racing in Houston in the past and I'm looking forward to making some new ones this January."
The 2011 race will mark the first marathon for 26-year-old Gotcher since placing 7th at the 2010 race in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 36 seconds.
"In his 2010 marathon debut here, Brett became the fastest American ever at our race. We are really looking forward to seeing what he can do with another year of targeted training under his belt and the experience that he gained running our course last January," said Race Director Brant Kotch. "We want to provide Brett with a platform on which he can continue to build momentum in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials."
Gotcher currently resides in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he trains with the adidas-sponsored McMillan Elite group, coached by Greg McMillan.
"The Houston Marathon Committee and its foundation have been great supporters of our efforts to aid in the resurgence of U.S. distance running," said McMillan, who has coached Gotcher for the past three years. "We were honored that they invited Brett to debut at the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2010. His race was a great kick start to his marathoning career and we are excited to return to Houston for his second marathon where he hopes to continue his drive toward Houston's 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials."
Houston will host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon on Saturday, January 14, 2012, a first for a single city to host both the men's and women's events at the same Trials.
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