The winner limbos home as 2018 Long Beach Marathon offers community, and redemption, to 15,000 runners
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LONG BEACH >> More than 15,000 runners congregated near the ocean blue arch, the autumn air still thick with morning fatigue. The public announcer called them to attention, and their knees bent in oblique angles. The horn blared and the runners took off
Like that, the 34th annual Long Beach Marathon commenced.
Two hours, 25 minutes and 43 seconds later, Christopher Mocko of Boulder, Colo., crossed the finish line – topped off with an impromptu limbo – to claim the men’s full marathon championship, earning a $1,500 prize. Mary Akor (2:54:12) won the women’s marathon for the second time in three years despite battling through a hamstring injury.
And the winner of the male side of the Long Beach Marathon: Chris Mocko pic.twitter.com/1VGmUl6vn3
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2018
Juan Paredes (1:09:32) and Erin Menefee (1:23:03) won the men’s and women’s half-marathons, respectively.
The marathon followed its traditional, 26.2-mile route, starting by the Shoreline Village and rolling past the Aquarium of the Pacific across and back over the Queensway Bridge.
Related: Race chief Bob Seagren draws inspiration from runners
The runners continued along the coast line prior to taking Livingston Drive up to Marine Stadium, the Long Beach State campus and then back to Shoreline Drive to the finish line.
Half-marathon runners deviated prior to the turn on Livingston, instead heading straight on Ocean Boulevard until the turn back onto Shoreline.
Mary Akor wins the women’s marathon pic.twitter.com/3FHPJHT9db
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2018
The runners were greeted by weather fit for the occasion: An ocean chill that nipped at the skin and clouds that blocked out the worst of the sun’s intentions.
Among the participants was Yolanda Holder, a two-time Guinness Book of World Records setter for most marathons completed in a calendar year. Fifteen people, some octogenarians, continued their tradition of taking part in every single Long Beach Marathon, dating back to 1982.
This man seems prepared to run the marathon barefooted pic.twitter.com/bODsZXxi1b
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2018
Alberto Perusset, also known as “Barefoot Alberto,” competed, as you might guess, without any shoes or socks. “It’s the most natural way to run,” he said, noting that he had never suffered an injury in his 161 marathons sans footwear.
Then there was the happy couple, Akhil and Sibylle Viz, who exchanged wedding vows prior to the start of the half-marathon as the orange-hued sun rose behind them.
Ceremony begins pic.twitter.com/fkBum6tBZB
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2018
It was an eclectic crowd. Some ran in tutus. Others wore colorful costumes, one complete with angel wings. Others ran in clothes featuring flags representing California, the United States, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
Parents pushed their children in strollers. Children pushed their parents in wheelchairs.
The frontrunners moved at their own pace. Some individuals opted to run in solitude. Mostly, people ran in packs, like colorful schools of fish moving along the course.
Lead runners pass while being serenaded by a local band pic.twitter.com/GiiODwcn3h
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2018
Some runners opted for headphones to provide their own soundtrack to the day. Others were serenaded by live bands set up along the course. One performed on a stage at the beer garden between the starting and finishing lines, fittingly beginning their show with A Flock of Seagulls’ hit “I Ran”.
For the spectators, food trucks lined the streets. Don Francisco’s sold coffee on the sidewalk.
But at the end, the day belonged to the winners.
Menefee, a San Diego native, was unsure if she would ever be able to run again this time a year ago. Last summer, she felt like she was having a heart attack while running. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
The 26-year-old needed open heart surgery to rewire her pulmonary veins. The doctors told Menefee that she might never be able to run again, but eventually she was allowed to start training.
Sunday’s race was the first since the surgery where she felt fully healthy, and a win only made her return to competition sweeter.
And they’re off at the Long Beach Marathon! pic.twitter.com/njlxYbJUYy
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2018
“Running’s who I am,” Menefee said. “When I found out about [the surgery], I was like, ‘There goes my identity.’ So this is just so amazing.”
Mocko, 32, wasn’t sure if he would be able to finish the Long Beach Marathon. The men’s full marathon started out with a pack of five runners at the front but it whittled down to four by the end of the first six miles.
When Mocko reached the Long Beach State campus, he thought there was a chance he’d need to drop out of the race. But he took advantage of his Colorado roots whenever the trail hit a hill, and was able to come out victorious in his first-ever Long Beach Marathon.
“At Mile 18, I was like, ‘I’m either going to win this thing or drop out,’” he said, his orange and black medal around his neck. “The crowd was amazing and pushed me to the finish. I didn’t even think the last four miles because there were so many people out on the streets cheering.”
And then he was off, asking what direction the after-party was, as the Long Beach Marathon concluded its 34th edition.