twenty years and running

3 min read | february 24, 2025

Runners lined up at 6:55 a.m. on January 19 to run the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon.

Wahyu Budiarto, country manager for Chevron Indonesia, wanted to celebrate his 60th birthday and his upcoming retirement by facing a new challenge: running a marathon. And the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon was an obvious choice, given Budiarto’s decades-long career with Chevron and the time he’s spent in the Houston area.

This is one of many marathon-related stories that David Feldman has had the pleasure of hearing. Feldman, now a Chevron supply chain advisor, helped initiate the partnership between Chevron and the Houston Marathon team two decades ago.

racing past a milestone

The January 2025 race marked Chevron’s 20th year as the marathon’s title sponsor.

Even back in 2005, Chevron had been part of the Houston community for more than 100 years. Still, the company wanted to deepen its relationship with the city, according to Feldman.

“I got a call from somebody at the Houston Marathon about Chevron assuming a title sponsorship of the event,” Feldman, then a Chevron public affairs advisor, said. “And the more I thought about it, the more I thought this was perfect for us.”

He saw the marathon as a community-enriching event and an integral part of the fabric of Houston.

“If you look at Chevron and the idea of the human energy company, what better way to demonstrate the power of human energy than through an event like this.”

david feldman

chevron supply chain advisor

helping houstonians

In addition to being the city’s largest single-day sporting event, the Chevron Houston Marathon is also a fundraiser for many Houston-area charities, through its Run for a Reason program. This year, runners raised money for more than 60 charities.

The marathon also helps Houstonians through the Run for a Reason Charity Challenge, which grants $25,000 to three separate charities for their work during the challenge period in December. Between 2013 and 2025, Chevron has invested $871,000 in the marathon’s Run for a Reason Charity Challenge, benefiting close to 200 charities.

During the 2025 race weekend, Houston Haven, Houston Area Parkinson Society and The Arbor School were awarded $25,000 each as winners of this year’s Chevron Charity Challenge. In addition to this $75,000 total donation to honor its 20th anniversary as the marathon’s title sponsor, Chevron donated $20,000 to Sole Loved, a Houston nonprofit that donates shoes to local Title I schools.

facts about the marathon

$695,000

raised at the first houston marathon under chevron sponsorship.

$2.6 million

raised in 2014, the marathon’s highest fundraising total to date.

300,000

participants, volunteers and spectators gathered for the marathon each year.

crossing the finish line

Going into the marathon, Budiarto was confident he would at least finish.

“The question is whether I will be able to finish within the cutoff time or not,” he said before the race.

“That’s what makes running a marathon interesting. A challenge is only interesting when the outcome is not certain.”

wahyu budiarto
chevron Indonesia country manager

2025 chevron houston marathon results

Men’s Overall:

name	country	finish time
Haimro Alame	Israel	02:08:17
Yemane Haileselassie	Eritrea	02:08:25
Shadrack Kimining	Kenya	02:08:29
Women’s Overall:
name	country	finish time
Kumeshi Sichala	Ethiopia	02:20:42
Erika Kemp	United States	02:22:56
Tsige Haileslase	Ethiopia	02:25:09

Athletes in the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon & Chevron Houston Marathon Wheelchair and Handcycle Division gathered at the starting line at 6:35 a.m. on January 19.
Al Williams, Chevron vice president and senior advisor for corporate affairs (left), and Houston Mayor John Whitmire hold the ribbon as Haimro Alame crosses the finish line to win the Men’s Overall.
Kumeshi Sichala (center) crosses the finish line with a time of 02:20:42 to win the Women’s Overall.
Balaji Krishnamurthy, vice president of Chevron Technical Center (left), celebrates with Men’s Overall winner Haimro Alame.
Michelle Green, Chevron vice president and chief human resources officer (right), posed with Women’s Overall winner Kumeshi Sichala after Sichala’s win.
Runners crossing the finish line at the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon.