Going the distance

Organizers of the young OC Marathon say it will grow to rival the famous race in Boston; but for most runners, fun is enough.As the sun emerged from a thick fog Sunday morning, runners from around the world crossed the finish line of the OC Marathon at the Spectrum Center in Irvine.

Most of them were so elated and full of energy -- even after completing a 13.1 or 26.2-mile race -- that the spectators couldn’t help but join in on the excitement. Family and friends cheered as the runners threw their arms in the air -- one woman celebrated by doing a cartwheel as she crossed the finish line for the half marathon.

Nearly 12,000 runners participated in the various races of the second annual OC Marathon. The event brought in close to $500,000 -- up from $300,000 last year -- for Run for Orange County Kids, a nonprofit that divides the funds between 11 children’s charities.

The event took months of planning and more than 10,000 volunteers to pull off.

“It’s really exciting,” said Newport Beach Mayor Don Webb. “Newport Beach is just really happy to be a sponsor, and to be on the starting line was just a wonderful experience.”

Scott Baugh, a Huntington Beach resident and chair of Run for Orange County Kids, said the event went well and the weather couldn’t have been better.

Baugh also ran the half-marathon -- his first -- completing it with a time of two hours and 41 minutes.

“When I started training in August, I couldn’t even finish the first mile,” he said. “Now I finished 13 without stopping. I never understood why these crazy marathoners loved it so much .... Until you run [a marathon], you just don’t know the thrill.”

When asked if he plans to continue running in marathons, Baugh responded with a smile, “I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”

For Irvine resident Kathy Kobrine, who took home the gold medal for the women’s half-marathon, running competitively is nothing new. The high school teacher said she’s competed in too many races to count.

“It’s awesome, I love finishing,” she said. “This race is so great -- right in my own backyard, where I train all the time.”

Kobrine was one of 570 adults who trained for the marathon all winter long with coach Bill Sumner, the OC Marathon’s director and a coach at Corona del Mar High School.

Sumner said he was delighted with Sunday’s event but planned a few changes for next year. He would like the marathon course to be more spectator-friendly and a little faster for the runners, without inconveniencing the communities of Newport Beach and Irvine too much.

Along with thousands of volunteers, months of planning, and a dedicated board of directors, the marathon would not be nearly as successful without the corporate sponsors that underwrite the cost of the event, ensuring that nearly 100% of funds raised go directly to the cause. For the second year, PacifiCare acted as lead sponsor.

“We are proud to be back for a second year,” said Chief Executive James Frey. “It’s a great event to be associated with.”

Several PacifiCare employees took part in the marathon and more than 200 spent the day volunteering. Frey said what sets the OC Marathon apart from others is the charitable aspect -- almost 100% of the proceeds benefit children in Orange County through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Ronald McDonald House, Olive Crest Abused Children’s Foundation and other nonprofits.

Because the race is in only its second year, it’s still small compared to the marathons in Boston and New York. But Sumner said he thinks the OC Marathon will fast approach mega-marathon status.

“We’re the little guy in the big game,” he said. “[Eventually] I want to hear somebody from New York or Boston to say, ‘Oh boy, here comes the OC.’”

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at (714) 966-4625 or [email protected].

THE OC MARATHON

* Close to 12,000 runners from 41 states and nine countries participated, including 485 from Newport Beach and 226 from Costa Mesa

* Types of races: marathon, half marathon, 5K run, 5K walk and kids marathon

* Nearly $500,000 was raised to benefit Orange County children’s charities

* Race start: 7:30 a.m. at Newport Center/Fashion Island in Newport Beach

* Race finish: Spectrum Center in Irvine

For a complete list of race results, visit www.ocmarathon.com.

FULL MARATHON

Men

1st: Albert Kiplagat, 34, Oro Valley, Ariz., 2:24:21

2nd: Shadrack Muge, (no age or hometown available), 2:24:24

3rd: Joseph Mutinda, 31, Oro Valley, Ariz., 2:24:43

Women

1st: Magdalena Boulet, 32, Oakland, 2:50:40

2nd: Mary Akor, 29, Gardena, 2:53: 57

3rd: Katerina Stetsenko, 23, Ukraine, 2:55:33

HALF MARATHON

Men

1st: Carlos Carballo, 23, Cathedral City, 1:07:27

2nd: Kalen Abbott, 22, Portland, Ore., 1:10:03

3rd: Nick Arciniaga, 22, Fountain Valley, 1:10:15

Women

1st: Kathy Kobrine, 39, Irvine, 1:23:16

2nd: Emily Mitchell, 27, Los Angeles, 1:26:18

3rd: Homes Petrossi, 39, Placentia, 1:26:5420060109issxbtncPHOTOS BY MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Participants in the second OC Marathon stride from the starting line at San Miguel Drive and Avocado Avenue Sunday morning. 20060109issxd2ncMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Albert Kiplagat (4), second from right, keeps up the pace while running with the race’s elite on Harvard Avenue in Irvine during the second annual OC Marathon. Kiplagat would finish as the overall winner with a time of 2:24:22. 20060109issxcanc(LA)Newport Beach resident John Woolley, right, approaches the 16-mile marker on Portola Parkway in Irvine. He finished the marathon with a time of 4:30:56.