Thousands from across SoCal, elsewhere give it their all at the 41st Long Beach Marathon

A cool ocean breeze and dark sky provided the backdrop for runners and cyclists tackling the 41st annual Long Beach Marathon on Sunday morning, Oct. 5.

Thousands of people were scattered along Shoreline Drive to watch the event, taking photos with their friends and family as the participants made their way through the 26.2-mile marathon.

The Long Beach Marathon is one of the city’s largest annual events, which also includes a half-marathon and a bicycle tour through the coastal metropolis. The event was once again sold out this year, with about 25,000 people participating.

This year’s winners had a mix of familiar and new faces in the local running community. Fountain Valley resident Esteban Prado, 25, came in first in the men’s full marathon in a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 31 seconds. Last year, Prado came in second in the half marathon. Second place went to Ethan Widlansky, 25, from Santa Monica, and Kevin Quinteros Lopez, 25, from Fontana, came in third.

“I feel good; my goal today was just to get a long run,” Prado said in an interview, “so it was good to find myself in the lead, and the crowd was amazing here. You can’t beat it – roads and the morale were perfect. I would do this one again.”

Being able to complete a marathon, he said, takes consistency and perseverance.

“Anytime I’m able to run a marathon, it’s always fun,” Prado added. “The crowd is amazing; the volunteers being out here so early and cheering for you, you can’t beat it.”

A first-time marathon runner took the gold for the women’s full marathon. Paige Moore, 24, from Ranchos Palos Verdes, came in first in a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 12 seconds. Salena Gallardo Domingues, 30, from Redondo Beach, came in second, and Hope Stark, 22, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, came in third.

Moore said that she did not anticipate taking the win on Sunday. Even though she isn’t a stranger to long runs, this was, after all, her first marathon.

“I didn’t even think I was going to get under three hours,” she said. “I was just trying to finish, but I surprised myself. I had a lot of fun runners and motivators along the way, so that really helped me keep momentum.”

If people get inspired to participate in marathons or even half-marathons, Moore said, consistency is key.

“It doesn’t matter how far you go, just have fun,” she added. “It’s a lot of fun meeting everyone and having a great time.”

Many have been inspired to take part in Long Beach’s annual event. More than 25,000 people participated in the Long Beach Marathon events throughout the race weekend, organizers said. Participants also enjoyed the marathon’s beer garden, vendor booths and photo opportunities.

Some participants, such as the Legacy Runners, have participated in the marathon for several years. For others, it was their first time taking on the 26.2-mile challenge.

“I’m nervous; all the feelings are rushing in that I’m doing this for the first time,” Rodrigo Ochoa, 23, from Chino Hill said on Sunday morning.

Ochoa and his father were waiting for the Metrolink at the Willow Street Station to get downtown for the marathon. Running is something that he started doing because Ochoa likes that it is a challenging-yet-healthy habit.

“I know that once I’m at the starting line,” he said, “all those nerves will disappear.”

While 6,000 people took part in the full marathon, 14,000 runners participated in the half-marathon, event announcers said. The 13.1-mile half-marathon began 90 minutes after the full one, which started at 5 a.m.

Jaquavious Harris, 28, from Murray, Utah, won among the men, while Salvador Capetillo, 27, from Flagstaff, Arizona, came in second and Xavier Smith, 25, from Lake Forest finished third. On the women’s side, 25-year-old Lauren Charlton from Santa Ana placed first, 25-year-old Hannah Chau from Huntington Beach placed second and 28-year-old Katie Alvarenga from Northridge came in third.

The top three male and female finishers in the marathon and half-marathon will receive prize money. First place will receive $1,000, second place will get $500 and third place will receive $250.

Some runners participate for other reasons, such as raising funds for charities and nonprofits.

Kelsey Sandoval, for example, was running the half-marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society. With many of her family members being affected by cancer and being BRCA2-positive herself – meaning Sandoval is at risk of being diagnosed with cancer – running for this cause was significant to the 38-year-old Long Beach resident.

“I just wanted to do it to raise money for everybody in my family, my friends and their families that have been affected by cancer,” she said.

Motive Sports – the event organizer – partners with the American Cancer Society to raise funds from each of the race events, and this year raised $1 million for the organization, according to Dan Cruz, spokesperson for the Long Beach Marathon.

Throughout the day, thousands of spectators crowded the start and finish line along Shoreline Drive to support family members, loved ones and friends with posters and banners. People would yell encouragement to runners as they passed by. Many held flowers, snacks or even an extra pair of shoes to give to their runners once they finished.

Seated comfortably in a lawn chair along the course was Justine Mora, 21, from Montana, who was supporting her boyfriend, Jorge Salas, who was running the full marathon for the first time.

“I’m really excited and nervous for him right now,” Mora said. “This is one of his life goals, so we’re excited for him to accomplish that.”

The couple’s plans for the rest of the day, similar to many of the thousands of participants, were to eat and sleep after the race – and, of course, celebrate.

While some runners wore pain on their faces as they finished, many also said they felt a sense of relief. Runners waved to their families, loved ones and friends who were waiting for them on the sidelines. The runners also congratulated each other for the milestones they had achieved — many even beating their personal records.

“It was brutal, but I hit a personal record, so that’s great,” said Victor Hernandez, 34, from Lakewood. “Even though it’s hard, you enjoy it. Once you finish, you feel relaxed and accomplished, and even start appreciating the good morning and good weather.”

Even though the events are different, everyone says they participate to have a fun time.

“It is physically and mentally hard, but at the end of the race, the most important thing is to have fun,” said Alejandra Lopez, 31, from Huntington Park, who finished her second half-marathon but first in Long Beach. “Enjoy being in the moment and be proud that you finished.”