On Sunday, 2 June 2024, thousands of runners took to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series San Diego start line next to Balboa Park to take on a 26.2- or 13.1-mile race through the southern California city.
According to IRONMAN, the event organiser, over 30,000 registered participants joined in over the weekend, which is an increase of 20% since last year. Runners from 49 US states and 48 countries experienced on-course live bands, cheer teams, entertainment, and festive water stations, as they toured eight neighbourhoods in San Diego.
IRONMAN added that a large part of the race’s growth this year included a 21% increase in marathoners – with nearly 8,000 registered marathon participants. Those who ran the marathon were able to ring the ‘163 Highway to Hill’ bell after conquering a steep incline just past mile 22.
Among the runners who took on the 26.2-mile course were over 40 ‘Legacy Runners’, who have participated in the marathon distance every year since the inaugural race in 1998. However, one runner was most notably missing from the start line, as the race held a moment of silence for Legacy Runner and San Diego Track Club coachm Bill Aaron, who passed away three weeks before the race. The race also held a moment of silence for the passing of local legend and NBA hall of famer, Bill Walton.
“While the energy of the spectators and entertainment on course were at an all-time high this morning, it was a game of energy conservation for the participants who made their way to the finish line,” said Paul Greer, San Diego Track Club (SDTC) coach, who has trained runners for every Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego race since it started in 1998.
“We saw an increase in marathon participation this year, which would put a smile on the face of Bill Aaron, our beloved and dearly missed SDTC coach and Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Legacy Runner who passed away in May.”
Sunday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series San Diego marathon also saw elite runners take to the course. It was Rene Ortiz (Rioverde, Mexico) with a time of 2:28:42 and Dakota Bliler (Scottsdale, AZ) winning in a time of 2:52:31 who came home victorious in the men’s and women’s races, respectively.
Ayrton Ledesma (Azusa, CA) with a time of 1:03:42, and Lisa Goodin (San Diego, CA) finishing in 1:15:42, were the male and female overall winners of the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon.
In 1998, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series was born in San Diego, drawing nearly 20,000 marathon participants to the start line of the very first Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series event, setting a record as the largest debut marathon in US history.
