Runners were off to the races for O.C. Half Marathon in Newport Beach

It might not have been the full marathon, but that didn’t stop the nearly 7,000 participants who set out early Sunday morning.

The Orange County Half Marathon took place over the weekend as part of the San Diego County Credit Union Running Festival. The typically 26.2-mile trek was shortened to just half of that — 13.1 miles — to avoid rescheduling conflicts faced by Orange County organizers and those of the Los Angeles Marathon, which also took place Sunday.

Tony Solis of Chino, Mike Margol of Tustin and George Yamashita of Irvine display a range of emotions at the finish line.

(Spencer Grant)

The O.C. Marathon is traditionally held in May but was delayed to November this year out of safety concerns regarding COVID-19. Race director Gary Kutscher said next year’s marathon will be scheduled for May.

This was the 16th annual event.

Half-marathoners began at Newport Center Drive at 6 a.m., but eventually made their way to MacArthur Boulevard. They then made for Bayside Drive into lower Newport Bay before heading toward Irvine Avenue, eventually concluding the marathon at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

According to results released by the organization, the fastest runners — male and female — clocked in just a little over an hour with runner J.J. Santana at an hour and five minutes and Alyssa Block at an hour and 18 minutes.

A thin crowd watched through the fence.

(Spencer Grant)

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