25th Long Beach International City Bank Marathon Sold Out with Record Participation
Rodriguez, Smith and Grabow, Nickless marathon and half-marathon winners

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By John Parks
Posted Thursday, 15 October, 2009

From Ryan Lamppa, Running USA

More than 22,000 participated in the 25th Long Beach International City Bank Marathon events on Sunday, October 11, 2009. For the first time ever, Southern California's Fall Marathon & Half Marathon event "Sold Out". The Full and Half Marathon combined had had more than 14,000 finishers, ranking it virtually equal to number of finishers at the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon (14,118), making it the second largest Marathon and/or Half Marathon running event in Southern California, and surpassing the 2009 San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (13,391 finishers).

The Long Beach event now ranks fourth in Marathon and/or Half Marathon running events in California behind the Nike Women's Marathon & Half-Marathon (16,446 in 2007), the San Francisco Marathon & Half-Marathon (15,983 finishers) and the LA Marathon. Sunday's events included the Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Bike Tour, Bubba Gump Run Forrest Run 5K and Kids 1 Mile Fun Run.

On Sunday, the ICR Track Club took first place in both the men's marathon and half-marathon. The 26.2 mile men's champion was 25-year-old Eli Rodriguez from Whittier, CA who ran 2 hours, 25 minutes, 57 seconds and earned $1500. 2006-07 race champion Leonel Avalos, 39, from Los Angeles placed second in 2:29:15 (worth $1000), while Jason Gutierrez, age 25 of Bogota, Columbia was third in 2:30:21 and received a $500 prize.

In the women's marathon, 29-year-old Cheryl Smith of Laguna Beach, CA crossed the finish line first in 2:50:18, also $1500. 2007 race champion Daniela Alonso from Los Angeles was runner-up (2:50:40) and 22-year-old Madeline Kramer of Carlsbad, CA placed third (3:00:54).

Half-Marathon race champions were Jimmy Grabow, age 25, from Running Springs, CA (1:04:46) and 24-year-old Bethany Nickless of Santa Barbara, CA (1:20:32). Both won $500 for their efforts.

25th Long Beach International City Bank Marathon
Long Beach, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2009

MEN
1) Eli Rodriguez (CA), 2:25:57, $1500
2) Leonel Avalos (MEX / CA), 2:29:15, $1000
3) Jason Gutierrez (COL), 2:30:21, $500

WOMEN
1) Cheryl Smith (CA), 2:50:18, $1500
2) Daniela Alonso (CA), 2:50:40, $1000
3) Madeline Kramer (CA), 3:00:54, $500

For deeper race results, go to: www.runlongbeach.com

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