Newport to be course for marathon

Deirdre Newman

When you think of first-class marathons, New York and Boston come to

mind.

Running enthusiasts hope to add Orange County to that list with

the debut of the Orange County Marathon in December. On Wednesday,

the Run for Orange County Kids committee announced the race and

unveiled the course, most of which will be in Newport Beach, at a

kickoff in Santa Ana.

It will be the first full-length marathon in the county and comes

with a unique twist: all of the proceeds from the race will be

donated to selected children’s charities.

“We will be on the map not because of a movie or a TV sitcom, but

because of caring people,” Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson said.

The race will take place Dec. 5 and is expected to draw 10,000

runners and 75,000 spectators. The course is set to start at Fashion

Island, wind past the Irvine Spectrum, and finish up along the Back

Bay at the Newport Dunes resort.

The marathon has been two years in the works. In April 2002, the

Run for Orange County Kids committee formed to establish the

marathon.

Committee members searched for two years for a main sponsor. They

finally found a generous one in PacifiCare Health Systems, which

provided a quarter of a million in cash and a commitment of another

quarter of a million in in-kind services, said former Assemblyman

Scott Baugh, a member of the marathon’s board of directors.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is the exclusive hospital

supporter for the marathon.

“We’re very excited about it,” said Debra Legan, Hoag’s

vice-president of marketing. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us

to support a healthy lifestyle in our community and especially for

the young people who will be involved with the charities.”

The race capitalizes on a popular pastime throughout the county,

said marathon director Bill Sumner.

“There are about 20,000 runners in Orange County and about 5,000

in Newport Beach,” Sumner said. “If you go to the Back Bay, you see

people running. They’re everywhere.”

The Orange County marathon will be enhanced by the experience of

the runners putting it on, founder and assistant race director Steve

Robinson said. He has run fifteen marathons and Sumner has run

between 40 and 50, Robinson said.

The race will be in December so it doesn’t conflict with other

marathons in October, Robinson explained. And since the last part of

the course is through the Back Bay bike path with no traffic lights,

the slower runners won’t be ushered off the course as they are in

other marathons, Robinson added.

“It’s a respect thing,” Robinson said. “If it takes you eight

hours, you can finish and will get the same respect as the person who

finishes first. They won’t get crowded off the course and they will

have a great time.”

Organizers of the race will also provide training to any runner

who wants to participate.

“All you gotta do is get to the start line, we’ll help you do the

rest,” Sumner said. “We don’t care if you’re 8 or 80.”

The marathon will replace the 16-year Orange County Half Marathon

& 5K, which was also directed by Sumner. Both of these events will be

folded into the Orange County Marathon weekend as well as a kids’

marathon, a mayors’ two-mile walk and a health and fitness expo.

One of the charities that will benefit from the new marathon is

THINK Together, an after-school program which has a branch in Costa

Mesa.