Countywide : County Marathon Route Would Start From UCI

If county officials have their way, Dec. 8, 1985, could be the day of the first Orange County Marathon.

The projected 26.2-mile course would start at UC Irvine and follow Jamboree Road to Pacific Coast Highway, then extend south along the highway to Dana Point Harbor, said Peter Herman, executive assistant to County Supervisor Thomas Riley.

Although county officials are working on plans for the proposed annual event, they also are hiring sports organizers “whose profession it is to do these kinds of events,” Herman said.

“We’re really just beginning,” Herman said. “We’re basically interviewing marketing people and race directors who can help us put the race on.”

Herman said several well-known sports figures have agreed to lend their names to the race. They include Olympic decathlon champion Bob Mathias, California Angels owner Gene Autry and former Rams football coach George Allen, now chairman of the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Approval of the route is being sought from the Athletic Conference, a national racing board that reviews proposed courses to determine their difficulty. If the route is approved, the Orange County marathon could become a qualifying event for other races, such as the Boston and New York City marathons.