HOUSTON, TEXAS – Former OCU cross country member Zouhair Talbi crushes course record in first place finish at the Chevron Houston Marathon. 

Zouhair Talbi, an OCU alum of the cross country team from 2020-21 became the first Moroccan runner to win the race in Houston by clocking in a time of 2:06:39 in the 30-degree brisk temperatures on Sunday.  

Talbi came in with experience in major marathons as the Moroccan native placed fifth in the Boston Marathon back in April of 2023.  

In his time at Oklahoma City Talbi hauled in seven cross country and track & field all-American honors and seven individual national titles (including guiding OCU to the 2021 distance medley relay title).

In his career, Talbi became two-time NAIA men's cross-country athlete of the year, NAIA indoor men's track & field athlete of the year, two-time NAIA South Central Region cross country athlete of the year, two-time Sooner Athletic Conference male athlete of the year, two-time individual cross country national champion and two-time SAC cross country individual champion.  

He garnered acclaim for his academic achievement as a college Sports Communicators academic all-American, academic all-district and on the SAC commissioner's honor roll.    

Talbi will now set his sights on the dream of a lifetime as he gets ready to prepare to compete in this summer's Paris Olympics.