The 2024 Long Beach Marathon was off to a foggy start on Oct. 6th. The runners passed the Go Beach sign as they made their way through the CSULB campus. Photo credit: Lauren Benson
By Runners raced through the Long Beach State campus on Oct. 6 during the 40th Annual Long Beach Marathon, where returning champions Jason Yang and Ryley Fick secured medals for the second consecutive year.
Yang once again placed first for the men’s division in the marathon at 2:27:27 and a 5.06-mile pace. He placed first in 2023 as well.
Fick came first for the women’s division at 2:54:42 and a 6.40-mile pace. She placed second during the 2023 marathon.
The 26.2-mile marathon started at 5:30 a.m. on Shoreline Drive, and participants ran a five-kilometer loop through the Long Beach State campus.
The route took runners through Merriam Way to Palo Verde Ave and left campus through Atherton Street. Runners finished the marathon back at Shoreline Drive and had the “The Finish Line Festival” waiting for them.
Local residents Ann and Dale Colton set up a tent to hand out sliced bananas and mist runners with water as they passed through Atherton Street.
Jeannie Corona, Ann’s sister, said they have been doing this for 21 years. Corona said since her kids were very young, they would attend the marathon as a tradition to support the runners.
“Dale comes out early, before all of us at seven, to see the first runner and cheer them on,” Corona said. “They also stay until the race is over and the streets start to get cleaned up.”
Supporters lined up on Atherton Street to cheer on the runners at the 2024 Long Beach Marathon. The fog cleared up around 10 a.m. as they made their way through the CSULB campus on Oct. 6. Photo Credit: Lauren Benson
Family and friends of participants held up posters, and supporters played music from their speakers to cheer on the runners, including marathon attendee Katie Welch, who said she was at the event to support her close friend running her first marathon.
“She spent a lot of her time going on runs after work, and especially towards the end, she had a lot of training,” Welch said.
Welch came from Los Angeles to Long Beach to recognize her friend’s big achievement and celebrate her accomplishment.
Some participants in this year’s marathon were competing for the first time.
The Long Beach Marathon was the first that runner Diego Garcia, 19, completed.
“The hardest part was finishing mile 12 because my hips hurt and my headphones kept disconnecting,” Garcia said.
Garcia was looking forward to the finish line so he could share the news with his girlfriend that he had finished.
Participants celebrated their accomplishments at the Michelob Ultra Beer Garden, where there were various food truck options and photo opportunities for participants who had reunited with their supporters.
