Over 16,000 Participants And 35,000 Spectators Attend The 20th Annual Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon In Huntington Beach
Event attracts runners from over 34 countries, all 50 USA states and over 1,000 cities to participate in California's largest combined oceanfront marathon and half marathon.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Feb. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 16,000 participants and 35,000 spectators attended the 20th annual Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon and Active Lifestyle Expo in Huntington Beach, California, on Sunday. Runners from over 34 countries, all 50 USA states and over 1,000 cities participated in California's largest combined oceanfront marathon and half marathon, which takes place along a portion of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.
"The Surf City USA Marathon and Half Marathon is cherished by the running community and we are thrilled to celebrate the event's 20th anniversary," said Amy Tomchak, General Manager of the Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon.
"The race and expo has become an international destination event that celebrates active lifestyle and the surfing community. We congratulate all runners for participating, and we give our thanks and gratitude to each of our sponsors and the hundreds of crew and volunteers who helped make this weekend and the past 20 years a huge success," Tomchak added.
The race start and finish took place in front of The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton hotel, and featured an exclusive oceanfront course along the Pacific Coast Highway, past the Huntington Beach Pier and through legendary surfing beaches that define Southern California. Weekend highlights included the three-day Active Lifestyle Beach Expo, live musical performances by local bands and the Samuel Adams® Post Race Beer Garden.
The top male finisher in the marathon division was Anthony Fagundes with an unofficial race time of 02:38:24.
"This was the first marathon I have ever done, so I didn't know what to expect," said Anthony Fagundes.
"It was an awesome race, beautiful course, beautiful weather and I look forward to running it again next year," added Fagundes.
The top female finisher in the marathon division was Rachel Naranjo with an unofficial race time of 02:57:08. The top male finisher in the half marathon division was Nick Mosey with an unofficial race time of 01:13:23. The top female finisher in the half marathon division was Allison Gonzales with an unofficial race time of 01:18:55.
At the finish line, runners received the specially designed surfboard medal named "Wave Runner" and official long sleeve finisher shirts.
"On behalf of the Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon, I would like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors, including Samuel Adams®, TruMoo, Clif Bar & Company and Arrowhead® Mountain Spring Water," Tomchak added.
"Every year our sponsors help us create an interactive expo at the finish line, where attendees can enjoy over 100 exhibitors, live entertainment and the opportunity to try out some of the best products in the market," said Tomchak.
Other sponsors included Pacific City, Gursey | Schneider LLP, Vitalyte, Mother's Market and Lemonade.
Since 2006, Surf City fundraising participants helped raise over $1.8 million for the Irvine-based Free Wheelchair Mission's "Run for Mobility" program. Funds raised power the engineering and distribution of more than 40,000 wheelchairs which provide mobility to people around the world. This year, Surf City participants raised over $46,000 for the Free Wheelchair Mission.
"There are over 100 million people around the world who do not have access to wheelchairs and the funds raised through Run for Mobility at the Surf City USA Marathon support efforts to provide wheelchairs at no charge to those living in developing nations," said Don Schoendorfer, Founder & President, Free Wheelchair Mission.
"We are thankful to all those running and the generous sponsors who've helped make this marathon one of the premier running events in the country. We invite all those participating to become fundraisers by visiting www.freewheelchairmission.org/runformobility," Schoendorfer added.
The 21st annual Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon will take place on February 5, 2017.
To access more information about the Surf City USA Marathon, visit www.runsurfcity.com.
ABOUT SURF CITY USA MARATHON: The 20th Surf City USA Marathon and Half Marathon is held on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 and plays host to over 20,000 runners from around the world. The exclusive oceanfront course runs on the Pacific Coast Highway, past the Huntington Beach Pier and through Southern California surfing beaches. Weekend highlights include the three-day Active Lifestyle Beach Expo and finish line beach party. Premiere sponsors include Samuel Adams®, TruMoo, Clif Bar & Company and Arrowhead® Mountain Spring Water. More information on the race is available at www.runsurfcity.com
ABOUT RACEFORCE, LLC: RaceForce, LLC ("RaceForce") is a subsidiary of OmniForce, LLC, and a leading endurance and athletic event production company based in Los Angeles, CA. By leveraging an extensive worldwide network and a wealth of core competencies including: Strategic Marketing; Sponsorship Acquisition and Production Support, RaceForce can invest in events, create new events and collaborate with event owners to deploy support where needed while maintaining the event's grassroots identity. RaceForce events are legendary and cherished by their respective community including the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA and the Golden Gate Half Marathon in San Francisco, CA. For more information regarding RaceForce, LLC, visit www.raceforce.com.
SOURCE Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon
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