FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thousands Participate in the 2023 Surf City Marathon and Half Marathon
presented by presented by 361°
- Southern California Runners Jason Yang and Michelle Jacobsen win men's
and women's marathon titles
- Yale graduate Robert Miranda; Simi Valley's Elizabeth Camy take
half-marathon victories
- Huntington Beach's Classic Road Race kicks off first event of the 2023
Golden State Run Series
Huntington Beach - More than 15,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair
athletes spanned all six lanes of the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington
Beach on Sunday morning for the 27th Surf City Marathon and Half Marathon
presented by 361°. They were greeted by cloud cover and a light mist at the
start. There were palm trees gently swaying in the background, with the
iconic pier and dark blue Pacific Ocean to the west.
Translation: it was a Chamber of Commerce morning for running.
And no one enjoyed the idyllic conditions more than Michelle Jacobsen and
Heather Gilliland. Gilliland led the women's marathon most of the way until
a quad injury slowed her down. Jacobsen took the lead at Mile 24 and beat
all the other women to the finish line, winning in 2 hours, 57 minutes and
41 seconds. Gilliland took second in 3:00:26.
Part of what made the women's marathon so memorable was the sportsmanship
Jacobsen, 44, and Gilliland, 26, showed each other.
"We were thumbs up the whole time," said Jacobsen, who lives in Newport
Beach.
"Michelle crushed it," said Gilliland, who lives in the San Diego County
beach suburb of Cardiff by the Sea.
When Jacobsen made the turn around on the out-and-back course, she crossed
paths with Gilliland, who was leading, and said, "You got it! Good job!
Dude, you are smoking!"
When Jacobsen passed Gilliland at Mile 24, the second-place finisher passed
along the positive vibes.
"Take it in," said Gilliland.
"That was so heartwarming," said Jacobsen. "A lot of times women can be
competitive and ugly. It wasn't like that at all. We were encouraging. It
was females pushing females. Women can encourage each other.
"I think I've got a new training partner."
The fastest marathoner on the day was men's winner Jason Yang, 31, of Los
Angeles, who finished in 2:29:01. Ruben Gonzalez of Anaheim finished second
in 2:41:37. Yang let it be known he wasn't holding anything back.
"I wanted to start fast and finish strong," he said. "And I think I
executed it pretty well."
It was Yang's first marathon win. He finished third at the Surf City
Marathon last year.
"I love the beach. The crowd here is amazing," said Yang. "Huntington Beach
is beautiful. The crowd's great. It's just beautiful here."
Elizabeth Camy, 39, of Simi Valley won the women's half marathon in
1:18:40. A 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, Camy knows her way
around distance running and couldn't give a more positive review of the
event.
"I love this place," she said. "I love the course, I love the people. I
love the weather. I love the beach. The whole package."
Camy is an assistant vice principal at a school in Camarillo that
specializes in teaching students with autism. Surf City was her first race
in 2023. She had taken a break after running the California International
Marathon in December and is building up for the Boston Marathon.
"I feel like this race is a hidden gem," she said. "I would highly
encourage people to try it."
Robert Miranda, 22, of Venice won the men's half marathon in 1:05:03.
Thomas Dialynas placed second in 1:09:47.
"There's not much to (running)," said Miranda, a sub-4 minute miler. "You
run hard, you run fast, you do it a lot and you get faster. I couldn't have
done it without the support (of the spectators) on the course. It's a flat
course and a fast course. Today was a beautiful day for it."
In the 5K, Ismael Samano of Los Angeles hit the tape first in 15:25, three
seconds ahead of Michael Foley. Rachel Miura of Laguna Hills won the
women's 5K in 18:00.
But maybe the day's most impressive performance was turned in by Sylvia
Mosqueda. Mosqueda is a seven-time Olympic Trials qualifier, five times in
the 10,000, twice in the marathon.
She finished second in the women's 5K in 18:55! Not bad for a woman who's
56 years young.
The Surf City Marathon serves as the first event of the Golden State Run
Series, which comprises 8 iconic California races throughout the year.
Huntington Beach's signature marathon will return to the Pacific Coast
Highway for its 28th edition on Sunday, February 4, 2024. For complete
results or special 2024 pre-sale registration, visit www.RunSurfCity.com.
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