Olympic Feel to Race in Santa Clarita

The sixth Santa Clarita Marathon will begin at 7 a.m. on Sunday at Lang Station in Saugus.

The finish-line festival will include appearances by Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin, a Hart High graduate, and Olympic discus thrower Adam Setliff of Valencia.

Festivities begin at 9 a.m. today with a sports and fitness exposition at the Hyatt Valencia. The expo, which will feature a variety of clothing, shoe and nutritional supplement merchandise and exhibits, runs until 5 p.m.

The Sunday races include a half-marathon, a five-kilometer run/walk and a children’s fun run. The marathon, 26.2 miles, and half-marathon are sanctioned by USA Track and Field.

Ruth Vomund is defending women’s champion. She set a course record of 2:58:36 last year.

Francisco Olid of Guadalajara, Mexico, set the men’s course record of 2:29:40 in 1998. More than 1,500 runners were registered four days before the races.

The finish-line festival begins at 7:45 a.m. at Citrus Street behind the Valencia Town Center with a pancake breakfast. The Good Time Jazz Band and animators from California Institute of the Arts will be there until 10 a.m. The pancake breakfast ends at 10 a.m., but other food vendors will open at that time.

Ervin and Setliff will arrive at approximately 8:30 a.m. At that time there will be a gymnastics demonstration.

At 9 a.m., Wendee will provide interactive entertainment for children.

More than 1,000 volunteers will help with the races and festivities.

The band Black Pearl will perform from 7:30-9:15 a.m. at Lang Station. DJs will be playing at College of the Canyons, near the Hilton on The Old Road, at Rye Canyon Road and Stanford Avenue, at Avenue Hopkins and Rockefeller and at Newhall Ranch Road and Avenue Tibbetts.

Finish-line ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. for the five-kilometer run/walk, at 11 a.m. for the half-marathon and at noon for the marathon.