Huntington Beach woman wins Long Beach marathon - OCRegister
In her first marathon, Abigail Swift of Huntington Beach didn't just cross the finish line – she was the women's winner of Sunday's 27th annual Long Beach Marathon.
Swift's time of 2:43:20 also qualifies her for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
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"I came into it just to finish," Swift told the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Swift took the marathon's lead about 10 miles in and continued to take the lead women's spot, according to the Press-Telegram.
Other than blisters and a cut on the back of one of her feet, the 23-year-old from Huntington Beach resident, told the Press-Telegram that she felt good.
Swift works at A Snail's Pace running shop in Fountain Valley and studied sports management at Ohio University.
"I just love the feeling after. It's so fun. I mean, look at this," Swift told the Press-Telegram, pointing to the marathon.
Edwin Romero of Bogata, Colombia, was the men's winner, completing the 26-mile, 385-yard course in 2:19:08 – a time he said would have been faster except that his shoelaces became untied in the 22nd mile. Romero finished third last year.
A time of 2:45 was required to qualify for the women's portion of the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which will be held Jan. 14 in Houston.
Lindsay Nelson of Roseville was second in the women's race in 2:57:52. Jose Morales of Turlock, also a first-time marathoner, was second in the men's race in 2:24:46.
For the first time, several hundred themed murals were placed along the course from the San Diego-based Art Miles Mural Project. There were also 26 murals painted by marathon participants and associated groups.
"Long Beach has a vibrant arts community and we hope to inspire the local artists and the entire Southern California arts community to eventually host a major art exhibit in association with the marathon," said John Parks, executive vice president of marketing for Run Racing, which owns and operates the race.
A Long Beach Fire Department spokesman said no emergencies were reported during the marathon.
The City News Service contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: squick@ocregister.com
10 Oct, 2011
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