Rockin’ and runnin’

Roughly 7,000 runners rumbled through Pasadena Sunday morning during the first Rock ’n’ Roll Pasadena Half Marathon.

Competitors got a short tour of the city as the route took them past Tournament House, over the Colorado Street Bridge, through Old Pasadena and around the Brookside Golf Course. Local bands played live music along the 13.1 mile course that began and finished at the Rose Bowl.

Sergio Reyes, a Palmdale resident and the 2010 U.S.A. Men’s Marathon champion, finished the race first in one hour, five minutes and 24 seconds, averaging slightly under five minutes per mile.

Mark Batres of Pomona finished second in one hour and seven minutes. Pasadena resident Jacques Sallberg finished third in one hour and 10 minutes. Other locals among the top 25 men included Shuo Peng, James Koneazny, Kyle Bueckert, Rene Dorantes and Donald Morrison of Pasadena, and James Woolley of Altadena.

Yuri Kano of Japan finished fifth overall and first among women, crossing the finish line with a time of one hour and 14 minutes. She is preparing for a March 11 marathon in Japan that will be used to help select the Japanese Olympic marathon team for this summer.

Mary Akor of Hawthorne finished second among women, completing the course in an hour and 15 minutes. Other locals in the top 25 women included Hannah Briggs, Nicole Luque and Jenny Quirk of Pasadena, and Laura Dooley of Altadena.

Proceeds from the event support the Connecticut-based organization Cure Mito, which raises awareness about mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial diseases, stemming from energy-depleting flaws within cells other than red blood cells, affect children with a range of symptoms ranging from muscle weakness and diabetes to respiratory problems and seizures.