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California > Surf City USA Marathon, Half Marathon &
5K
Huntington
Beach, CA
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Date
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Event
Details
Formerly known as the Pacific Shoreline Marathon & Half
Marathon, the Surf City USA Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K takes
runners along a flat, fast course that certainly delivers on its name,
as it is run mostly along the beaches of Southern California's Pacific
Coast Highway, through the towns of Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach and
the Bolsa Chica State Beach. Considered one of the best half-marathon
road race events in the country, the race saw more than 11,000 runners
and wheelchair competitors cross the finish line at the 2008 running of
the race, which also includes live music as well as the sounds of the
waves crashing along the shore throughout the course.
From the starting line along the Pacific Coast Highway near the
intersection with Huntington Street, this flat race -- runners will
experience an elevation change of no more than 100 feet over the course
of the race -- follows a mostly long, straight out-and-back course
along the PCH, with the brief exception of a detour along Seapoint
Avenue, through Huntington Beach's Harriet Weider Regional Park. Along
the way, the race
takes runners past the famous Huntington Beach pier, allowing them to
enjoy
the beauty of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands as they start the turn.
There's much more than beaches and ocean to see along the course, past
participants note. As runners follow the course that skirts the Bolsa
Chica Ecological Reserve, a 300-acre nature and wildlife preserve that
lies between mile markers 5 and 7 on the course, they'll be treated to
sights such as many migratory birds, including great blue herons, brown
pelicans and snowy egrets.
Thanks largely to the size of the fields the race attracts -- race
organizers expect up to 10,000 runners in the half-marathon alone at
the 2009 race -- a wave start is used to send runners off, with waves
leaving the starting line every two to three minutes. The first wave of
runners will start at about 7:45 AM, and organizers say it make take as
long as half an hour to send off all the waves of runners for the half
marathon. Runners should also keep in mind that they'll have six hours
to finish the race in order for their results to be counted officially
and to receive a race finishing medal.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled along the southern stretch of California's Pacific Coast
Highway, just a few miles south of nearby Long Beach, the town of
Huntington Beach generally enjoys weather conditions much like those of
the rest of Southern California -- mild to moderately warm throughout
the year, with lots of sunshine and little variation in temperature
from January to December. In February, average monthly temperatures
range between 64°F and 50°F, while rainfall amounts
average about 2.54 inches for the month.
Fees
$75 for those running the half marathon
$90 for the full marathon
$35 for the 5K
Registration
To reserve your spot in the winter 2009 running of the Surf City USA
Marathon or Half Marathon, register online at MarathonGuide.com.
Website
www.runsurfcity.com
Course Map
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Larger Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Huntington Beach's annual Surf City USA Marathon or Half
Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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