THE LAST WORD:

It’s Irvine’s loss and Costa Mesa’s gain.

That’s our summation of the idea by Orange County Marathon organizers to switch the destination from Irvine to the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

The thinking is to move the marathon to May and give it a nice spring start. For Irvine, that date didn’t work out.

Also, runners complained about the hilly terrain in Irvine, and Costa Mesa would provide a more traditional, city-style marathon course.

And there are added benefits to ending the marathon in Costa Mesa.

Indeed, the 13,000 expected marathon runners and their families could stay in Costa Mesa hotels, bringing a nice economic boost.

Still to be worked out is where the marathon route will take the runners. And the final approval needs to come from the Costa Mesa City Council, after it consults with businesses and homeowners.

“We’re certainly all very excited about it. I think it’s just logistics now — getting the proper route into the city that fits with their policies and regulations,” said Jane Martin, the race’s executive director.

So barring some unforeseen obstacle, this race looks to be on. And we are excited that Newport-Mesa shall be the venue and the beneficiary.