The 39th annual Long Beach marathon kicked off early Sunday morning, covering 26.2 miles of terrain across the city, including the Long Beach State campus.
This year’s race saw one of the largest turnouts, with 18,000 people gathered at the starting line on Shoreline Drive at 6 a.m.
One runner, Tyler Vale, traveled from Santa Barbara to participate in the race.
“I did it last year and I trained last year so I was more prepared,” Vale said on mile 20.
“It’s going good so far, it’s hotter this year, but I’m having fun.”
Runners in the full marathon started in downtown Long Beach and made their way towards the Queen Mary through Shoreline Village before heading to Belmont Shore. They then completed a 5K loop around CSULB before heading back to Ocean Boulevard for the finish.
Parent-in-laws Jane and Steve Detrick and Cindy and Jerry Horn waited with a custom-made sign in hand for their recently married kids to pass by the Walter Pyramid.
“We’re here from Oakland Hills and Elk Grove, we’re supporting our son and our daughter in law,” Steve Detrick said.
“We’re just the parents coming down to support our kids the way we’ve been doing for over 30 years.”
For the young couple, Kristen and Nick Detrick, this year’s marathon marks their first year of marriage and their first time running a marathon together.
“They’re our biggest supporters,” Nick Detrick said, when the couple met with their parents during the race.
While some runners were experiencing their firsts, others were running their 73rd marathon, like runner Lindsey G.
“It’s a little hot, but besides that, it’s going well,” Lindsey said on mile 21.
Onlookers and runners alike endured the heat this year to participate in the event, like 7-year-old Mason Cruz and 3-year-old Audrey Cruz who cheered on their dad, Alex Cruz, near Walter Pyramid.
The “Finish Line Festival” celebration awaited runners at Shoreline Village where victors received their medals and celebrated their accomplishment.
In the full marathon, 23-year-old Ryley Fick, who graduated from Cal State Long Beach last spring, won the women’s race with a time of 2:58:30. Jason Yang won the men’s race with a time of 2:27:04.
During the marathon, other races took place, such as the half-marathon and bike race. In the half-marathon, 25-year-old Ayrton Ledesma of Azusa won the men’s race with a time of 1:05:27. Jennifer Sandoval, 24, of Fontana won the women’s race with a time of 1:18:11.
This article was edited on Oct. 17, 2023.