NYRR Media Center

Zouhair Talbi had a breakout year in 2023, taking the third podium spot in his United Airlines NYC Half debut, which he called “the race of his life.” He also recorded top-five finishes at both the Boston Marathon and Houston Half Marathon. In Boston, he finished one spot ahead of Olympic champion and world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Then in January, he set a course record time of 2:06:39 to win the Houston Marathon, cementing himself as an Olympic hopeful for the Paris 2024 Games.

Originally from Morocco, Talbi immigrated to the U.S. to study at Northwest Kansas Technical College and then transferred to run for Oklahoma City University, where he won seven cross country and track and field all-American honors and seven individual national titles. Talbi’s wife, Elizabeth Heffernan, is an avid runner. They both finished first in their respective divisions at the John Carson 2-Mile Road Race last summer in Massachusetts. While Talbi was winning the Houston Marathon in January, Heffernan ran 1:19:59 in the accompanying half-marathon race.