Olympian, Father, Immigrant: Zouhair Talbi’s Road to Success
To celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting Olympian Zouhair Talbi, a professional runner originally from Morocco who has made significant strides in the sport. The 31-year-old took first place at the Houston Marathon in January with a time of 2:05:45, setting a new course record and surpassing his previous best of 2:06:39, set in 2024. This was the first time since 2003 that an American has won the men’s title in Houston, and now Talbi ranks as the third-fastest American marathoner of all time.
Talbi immigrated to the U.S. in 2019 to study at Northwest Kansas Technical College before transferring to run for Oklahoma City University, where he earned seven cross country and track and field all-American honors and seven individual national titles. He went on to represent Morocco in the 2024 Paris Olympic marathon, then become a U.S. citizen the following year and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve, marking a new chapter in his life.
Talbi competed in the United Airlines NYC Half on March 15 while fasting for Ramadan. When asked about his training he said, “Training has been a little bit rough. I try to manage my sleep, nutrition, and the timing of my runs but overall, everything has been good. I completed all my workouts and long runs.”
Despite the challenges, Talbi placed second in the professional men’s field, finishing in 59:41. After the race, he shared his excitement saying, “I'm feeling great! That’s a first time for me breaking 60 minutes in the half marathon. It was a very exciting race. Finishing second today in a stacked field proves that I'm on the right track in my training.” He has now reached the podium in all three of his United Airlines NYC Half appearances.
In addition to pursuing his own goals, Talbi dedicates time to mentoring young runners through YouTube and Instagram, he said. “I’ve been sharing knowledge on YouTube and Instagram for about a year and a half. I want to inspire the next generation. Sharing what we do in training is something I truly enjoy.”
Talbi is also a proud father to son, Amir, who was born in 2025. His wife, Elizabeth, made her own mark at the Houston Marathon, finishing 10th in the women’s field with a personal best of 2:35:26—just 10 months after giving birth. The family lives in Colorado Springs, where Talbi has trained since 2023 under coach Scott Simmons of the American Distance Project.
For aspiring athletes, Talbi offers this advice: “To get where you want, there are a lot of steps along the way. Don’t rush it; take your time to improve. I started as a track runner and gradually moved to longer distances. Giving yourself enough time to grow is very important.”
