Long Beach Race Adds Half-Marathon and Relay

The Long Beach Marathon, returning for its 13th year Sunday, is one of the prime marathons in Southern California and is consistently rated among the Top 20 nationwide by running magazines.

Despite that success, however, organizers have been hurt by the general slump in registration numbers that have hit running events, particularly marathons. So this year, they’ve expanded the event to attract non-marathoners and boost overall participation.

“The biggest change is the addition of the half-marathon and the relay,” said Jay Beeler, a spokesman for the event. “The goal of the marathon this year is to get more community involvement. One way to do that is to get those people who don’t feel like tapping their total body strength” by running the 26.2 miles of a full marathon.

There’s more entertainment this year, too, with more than 40 musical groups lining the marathon course, from Bach to rock, said spokesman Hugh Siler. The nearby Queen Mary will sound its horns at the 8 a.m. start of the runners’ marathon.

The relay is designed for five-person teams. The first four members will run five miles each, and the fifth will do the final 6.2 miles. The event was introduced on a limited basis last year, primarily to test the logistics before expanding.

There is no immediate danger to the marathon’s future, but organizers wanted to halt the downturn in attendance, which has afflicted even the biggest events in the country, such as the Boston Marathon.

“We’re doing what we can to keep it rolling along,” Beeler said.

In the mid-’80s, when running was in its heyday, participation in the Long Beach race was in the neighborhood of 4,000. Last year’s race drew 2,100, but this year organizers had almost that many registrations 10 days before the event, and expect 2,500 or more runners, wheelchair racers and race walkers.

The marathon course, which follows the shore for much of the way, is essentially unchanged. Course records for the event are: men, Rex Wilson at 2 hours, 12 minutes and 27 seconds, in 1989; women, Olga Appell at 2:30:43 in 1992; men’s wheelchair, seven-time winner Jim Knaub, 1:38:47 in 1991; women’s wheelchair, DeAnna Sodoma, 1:57:10 in 1993; men’s race walker, Timothy Lewis, 3:28:39 in 1986; women’s race walker, Jeanie Mendelson, 4:19:56 in 1986.

In last year’s trial run of the five-person relay, the winners (from Long Beach Millikan High School) came in at 2:39:00.

The top three finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories will win $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000, respectively. Cash prizes of $500 to $100 will be awarded to the top finishers in the masters (40 and over) and wheelchair categories.

A health and fitness fair will take place after the race, free to competitors and $3 for the general public.

What: Long Beach Marathon (with half marathon and team relay).

When: Sunday, Feb. 6. Race-day registration will open at 6 a.m.; race walkers will take off at 7:30 a.m., wheelchairs at 7:55 a.m., runners at 8 a.m.

Where: Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd.

Whereabouts: From the Long Beach (710) Freeway southbound, exit at Broadway. Go east to Long Beach Boulevard and turn right; follow signs to available parking.

Wherewithal: $40 for marathon, $30 for half-marathon, $125 per team for relay.

Where to call: (310) 494-2664.