» 2008 Silver Strand Half Marathon

It was a bit chilly this morning as the athletes began to gather at the start area on Coronado Island. The chill would quickly turn to above-average temperatures as soon as the sun came up. Everywhere you looked athletes were stretching, warming up, or talking with friends as they prepared for the start.

This half marathon is a unique one in that participants can run or use a pair of rollerblade/skates. The roller bladers were let go first. Roughly 200 athletes began their 13-mile skate on what can be described as one of the flattest and fastest half-marathon courses in Southern California.

Soon after the hand-cyclists got started on the course. This year there were roughly 50 hand cyclists, the majority of which were youth participating in the Head North Challenge.

Last to go were the runners – 3000 of them. All levels of running ability were well represented. At mile 2 the Leaders were running a just over 5 minute per mile pace. By mile 5 the leader was able to maintain that pace while others in the lead pack were not. By Mile 7 Hector Hernandez was in the lead by about 30 seconds. That lead would continue to grow as the man trying to chase him down, Allen Wagner, had slowed to a 5:15ish minute per mile pace. Over the next few miles the battle for second intensified as Sean Zanderson began closing in on Wagner. By mile 12 Zanderson had passed Wagner.

Hernandez ended up taking first, Zanderson second, and Wagner third.