Alan Grant could hear the cheers as he snuck up on the lead runner, Tyrus Deminter in Saturday’s 10K race.
With the last 100 meters in the race, Grant pulled ahead and won the event by about 4 seconds. This was the third year in a row that Grant, who owns ZPizza on Main Street, won the race.
“I had to work for it this time,” Grant said. “It came down to the finish. It turned out to be the fastest race I ever ran, so he pulled me to get a better time. I was following behind him the whole way.”
Grant said it felt good to win the event for the third time.
“It really helped to feel all the support from the community, especially in the last stretch along Ocean Avenue with everyone calling out my name.”
More than 4,500 runners and walkers took to the streets on Seal Beach on Saturday for the 36th annual Seal Beach 5K/10K Races and Kids Fun Run.
It was a banner year for the event that raises funds for local fitness equipment and programs. On race day, organizers said they had about a thousand more participants than last year’s event; that may have set a new record for participation and money raised.
Last year the race broke records of fundraising, bringing in about $100,000 in money that will be distributed directly back into the community in the form of grants for local non-profit sports, fitness and wellness programs and facilities. This year’s event featured some new innovations in race presentation. Runners were started in waves.
The timing was kept by chips connected to runners’ shoes that were activated when they crossed the starting line.
Seal Beach Chamber President and public announcer Seth Eaker, who was perched 15’ above ground announcing the race, became a traffic director, because of the huge attendance.
The Huntington Beach married couple of Jo and Christina Appel finished 1st & 2nd in their 5-K dash as stragglers blocked their way to the finish line.
Mary Akor, 33, from Hawthorne, was the first woman in the 10K with a time of 34:52, placed third in the 10K race. She came in just ahead of the third male runner Juan Morales with a time of 34:58:1.
Risa Grand is this year’s Seal Beach women winner in the 5K race. Risa blew through the course at a time of 21:24. Dr. Risa Grand, a psychiatrist for the LA Sheriff’s Department said she would be carrying the trophy and medal into work on Monday.
Shane Brouwer, 12, of Venice Beach, won the under 16-age group and finished in the overall top ten 5K winners with a stunning time of 20:01.
Not to be outdone by age was Seal Beach’s Leisure World representative, 77-year-old Glenna Hoff. She took first place in her age division. Glenna has won the Huntington Beach race and the “Race at the Base” in her age division. She is also a member of the Leisure Leggers of Seal Beach.
“I was worried before the race that they might not allow me to race as they made me sign medical releases because of my age, she said.”
The event was executed smoothly with the help of volunteers and the Seal Beach Police.
One standout was how well guarded the Kid’s Fun Zone was. It gave registered racers had an opportunity for childcare in a safe zone, while they ran the race. One` 8-year-old girl briefly escaped the protected area when she apparently became confused and ran into the 5K race.
However, she was quickly recovered by Seal Beach Police volunteers as she ran out of energy going up Seal Beach Boulevard and was returned to the fun zone.
Zeya Whinner of Seal Beach looked eagerly at the printed time results.
“I want the print out of my time because it took me five minutes just to get to the starting line,” she said. “I will blow up the results and post them in my company coffee room. That is absolute proof I ran this race.”
The Prime Time Company used racers’ microchips that were tied to the runners’ shoes. It supposedly gives the runner an advantage of running a fair race.
The computer timer automatically registers the correct start time as they cross the electric pad that stretches across the official start line, rather than when one starts when the starting pistol shoots, (Gun Time) goes off.
See results at PrimeTime.com or at sealbeachrun.com
If you participated in the event and would like to see any photos taken of you during the race please contact Michael “Dutch” Newton at:
dutchsemisports@yahoo.com.
