86-year-old woman has remained the constant through three decades of the Surf City Marathon
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Dorothy Strand has enjoyed the varied course the annual Surf City Marathon provides participants. The beach path running, heading through Central Park before veering north to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and back, all of it.
“You run along the beach and you smell all the people who are making breakfast,” Strand said with a smile. “It’s great. You see all the waves, if you don’t run too fast that you miss all of that.”
At 86 years old, Strand no longer runs in the full marathon race, but she will be lacing her sneakers up for the Surf City Marathon 5K on Sunday morning.
As the event, formerly called the Pacific Shoreline Marathon, turns 30 this year, the Orange resident is the only person who has participated in an event race every year.
She will be recognized Friday night at a “Cheers to 30 Years” VIP celebration with city officials and different event sponsors, Surf City Marathon promoter Dan Cruz said.
“She’s our one and only runner who has toed the start line each and every year for the past 29 years,” Cruz said.
Strand and her late husband, John, got into running as their son competed on his high school cross country team. They never looked back. John completed 118 marathons before he died in 2021, Strand said, while she herself has completed 46 marathons.
They formed a running group called California Cruisers/642.
“It’s just the most wonderful thing for everybody, and we’re such a welcoming group,” Strand said. “When we first started, my husband and I had decided that nobody runs alone and nobody gets left behind.”
The group still meets Saturday and Tuesday mornings, albeit for more walking than running these days for some in the group.
Julie Payn is a member of the group. She’s run 31 marathons.
“When you hang around all of this inspiration, you kind of just absorb it like a sponge and it becomes part of you,” Payn said. “And outside of the exercise, we have parties and Christmas gatherings.”
Cyndee Albertson, who lives in Placentia, is a member of the group who often opens her home up for such events. She marvels at Strand’s consistency.
“I’ve literally had 15 surgeries, and every time, Dorothy was the one who would keep in touch with me,” Albertson said. “And it’s not just me. It’s anybody who is coming back from something.
“Following the Strands, I had to climb many fences [that had signage] that said, ‘No entry,’” she added with a laugh. “They were like, ‘You’re the smallest and the youngest. Go.’”
Biofreeze is the new event sponsor of the Surf City Marathon, which is expected to draw 20,000 runners to Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday morning. The marathon begins at 6:30 a.m., the half-marathon starts at 7:15 a.m. and the 5K this year is at a new, later time,11 a.m.
A free active lifestyle expo with vendors and exhibits will be held Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is also the family-friendly Beach Mile on the Sand run on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Huntington Beach residents are advised to plan ahead for road closures and expect delays.
Limited registration and event details are available at RunSurfCity.com.
