Surf City Marathon runners beat the rain in Huntington Beach
Mother Nature cooperated with the Surf City Marathon and Half Marathon in Huntington Beach on Sunday morning, with rainstorms not rolling in until later in the day.
About 18,000 runners competed in the 28th annual event, which featured all first-time winners in both the marathon and half-marathon.
Oswaldo Cerda of Montebello, 29, won the men’s marathon in 2 hours, 32 minutes, 33 seconds. He was followed by Surf City native Elijah Orr, who crossed the finish line in second place in 2:33:19.
“I love to represent this city,” said Orr, 26, in a news release. “This course is amazing. The people here, the fans are always amazing. I love coming here and showing out for my hometown.”
Women’s marathon winner Teresa Rokos, 27, lives in Altadena. She crossed in first place in 3:03.22 in just her second marathon.
The half-marathon winners also shined, with 23-year-old Estaban Prado of Fountain Valley crossing first for the men’s competition in 1:08:04. The women’s half-marathon was won by Gabrielle Yatauro, an Edison High alumna who grew up in Huntington Beach and now lives in New York.
Yatauro, 28, finished in 1:17:58.
“Because I grew up here, this is my hometown,” Yatauro said in a release. “Up and down the boardwalk was practically where I grew a love of running. This was perfect.”
Matthew Walker of Rhode Island won the men’s 5K in 15:37, while Ariel Melendez of Pico Rivera won the women’s 5K in 18:18.
The American Cancer Society was the event’s lead charity partner. Officials said the blue-clad Team DetermiNation runners raised more than $40,000 for ACS.
For complete results, visit RunSurfCity.com.
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