O.C. race deemed success

Marathon organizers pleased with the new course and the large amount of money generated for charity.With about $500,000 tallied for charity and a 26.2-mile course that appears to be on the right track, OC Marathon organizers are pleased with the results of the recent race.

“Everybody’s very happy,” said Jane Martin, the marathon’s executive director.

Runners raced in the second OC Marathon on Jan. 8. The first was held in December 2004 on a different course. Race director Bill Sumner said future marathons will likely follow this year’s course.

The first time around, racers started near Fashion Island, ran around the Irvine Spectrum and finished near the Back Bay. For the second race, marathon organizers kept the Newport Beach start but adjusted the course so it ended in Irvine.

“We took it and rebuilt the old one,” he said. “Now we have something that’s comfortable and nice.”

OC Marathon spokeswoman Peggy Fort said the course was changed because runners needed more space near the finish line, which was initially near the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort.

Organizers could tweak the course in the future, Sumner said.

Organizers said on race day that it had raised about $500,000 for children’s charities, and that figure could go higher, Fort said.

“The total is actually going to exceed $500,000,” Fort predicted.

About $300,000 of the money was raised through entry fees. Charities that benefited from the race raised the balance through their own efforts.

The OC Marathon is owned by a nonprofit group called Run for Orange County Kids, or ROCK.

The 11 charities that benefit from the race include the Olive Crest Abused Children’s Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Southern California Medical Asthma Program.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” OC Marathon co-chairman Scott Baugh said.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards@

latimes.com.

20060123issxbtncMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Runners in the second OC Marathon stride from the starting line. The event raised half a million dollars for charity.