600 Marathoners Make Santa Clarita History : Recreation: The city’s first 26-mile endurance race draws elite runners as well as residents out to enjoy the community get-together.

About 600 runners, bicyclists and even walkers participated in the first annual Santa Clarita Marathon on Sunday, aiming to test their personal endurance and grab a piece of city history.

The 26.2-mile course for Santa Clarita’s inaugural marathon spread over winding roads, passing the local Metrolink station, behind the Saugus Speedway, through Magic Mountain and ending at the William S. Hart Baseball Complex.

The event was sponsored by the city in an effort to promote Santa Clarita as “the No. 1 city in physical fitness,” said Laurene Wests, chairwoman of the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee. The race also was certified by the U.S. Track and Field Organization, organizers said.

The certification attracted elite runners, who could use their times to qualify for the upcoming Boston Marathon, and the location in the bustling community drew local runners and novice entrants.

One of the top-class runners, Jaime Ortiz of Cudahy, was the winner of the event, crossing the finish line in 2 1/2 hours after leading the pack for the entire race.

“My plan was to keep up with the leader, but I could see that they were going too slow,” Ortiz said after the race, not out of breath but dripping with sweat.

Ortiz, a welder who trains by running 10 miles a day and five marathons a year, said this race was his personal best, beating even his 2-hour, 35-minute showing in the Los Angeles Marathon.

He won’t race in the Boston Marathon this year, however.

“I don’t have the money,” Ortiz said. “And I am the father of three kids.”

For local runners, the day was a chance to compete on their own turf.

Damon Collier, who has run marathons since he was in high school, had his own cheering section at the corner of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway by dawn. His wife, Angela Collier, her mother, grandmother and 1-year-old daughter made the five-minute drive from the couple’s home to lend support to Damon and his father-in-law, Gene Ray.

For Art Donnelly, it was his first athletic event since an accident two years ago left him paralyzed from the waist down. Donnelly is well-known in Santa Clarita as the former chair of the formation committee that helped guide Santa Clarita’s incorporation eight years ago.

“It went well but then we broke down at Magic Mountain,” Donnelly said after the race. “The wheel bearing came loose and that was the end.”

For the race, Donnelly rolled on a small wheeled platform that was connected to a bicycle ridden by friend Jerry Hider. They were followed by friend David L’Heureux, a retired county Sheriff’s Department pilot.

“But it was fun,” Donnelly said. “I saw a lot of people I knew and it was good to get out.”

At one point during the ride, Hider said, he heard heavy breathing and grunting, and thought something was wrong with Donnelly.

“I turned around and he was convulsing with laughter,” Hider said.

“Well, you guys were doing all the work,” Donnelly retorted.

At the finish line, sponsors displayed their products in booths while the country-and-Western band Pegasus entertained families waiting for friends and relatives to finish the race.

Before the race, Jerry Cherrington, chairman of the marathon steering committee and a participant, was looking forward to running the race he had planned for months.

“I anticipate being in pain--but being alive,” he said.