Sergio Gonzalez from Oceanside crosses the finish line in first place with a time of 1:09:48 during the La Jolla Half Marathon, April 25, 2010. Photos by Will Parson
Jason Seltenright waves an American flag near the finish line of the La Jolla Half Marathon, April 25, 2010. Seltenright also carried the flag during the Carlsbad Half Marathon the previous day.
Hilary Corno places second in the women's division and 21st overall.
Allison Dowd, a volunteer from Muirlands Middle School, decided to give back after receiving a travel scholarship from the La Jolla Kiwanis Club.
Jeremy Gintoft crosses the finish line at the La Jolla Half Marathon, placing second out of 5839 finishers, April 25, 2010.
Jessica Goertz from San Diego crosses the finish line in first place in the women's division, and 20th overall during the La Jolla Half Marathon, April 25, 2010.
John Nowoslawski (right) from La Jolla hustles to match Taylor Thomas Lucero from Chula Vista at the finish line. Nowoslawski and Lucero placed 25th and 18th, respectively.
Volunteer Theresa McKethan hands runner Sergio Gonzalez a medal after he finished first in the La Jolla Half Marathon.
Myles Murphy crosses the finish line in third place.
Finishing runners pick up oranges and other replenishing snack at the finish line.
Patt Tsung hands out water with other volunteers.
Ethan "Elvis" Uong was inspired by a friend who ran a marathon as Elvis to do the same for the La Jolla Half Marathon.
Photos below by Sarah Day-Ives
Sergio Gonzalez of Oceanside ran away with first place in Sunday's La Jolla Half Marathon, finishing six minutes ahead of his closest competition.
With a time of 1:09:48, the former Cal State San Marcos runner was followed to the finish line by San Diegans Jeremy Gintoft and Myles Murphy of San Diego and Kevin Zimmer of Del Mar.
The women's race was closer, with Jessica Goertz at 1:205:06 fighting off a challenge from Hilary Como, who crossed the line only nine seconds back. Morgan Sjogren of Oceanside - who is Gonzalez's girlfriend - finished third and La Jollan Karl Brammer, fourth In the 5K, Glenn Racz of Carlsbad and Stephen Moxey of Steamboat Springs both crossed the line at 15:38, according to active.com, where results are posted. Kyle Frost of San Diego, finished at 16:06 nnd David Easa of Vista in 16:11.
Jessica Brothers of Carlsbad won the women's divison at 18:04 followed by Stephanie Wenneborg of Tucson at 18:38, Piper Atnip of San Diego, 19:16; Shanna Sparks of Solana Beach, 19:26, and Janine Buehler of La Jolla, 20:16.
In the age groups, 75-year-old Peter Gantzel of La Jolla was one of the oldest runners, winning his division at 32:24.
In the women's 75-99 age group, La Jollans Sari Gantzel, 75, Cherry Lee, 75, and Dorothy Dellipizi, 79, finished behind 81-year-old Josephine Romero of San Diego, whose clock time was 42:43.
Twelve-year-old Owen Rice of La Jolla won the under 18 division for the 5K; while La Jolla's Bridget Odmark, also 12, came in second in the girls under 18 and Katie Volker, 16, ws fifth.
The race, with nearly 6,000 runners in the signature 13.1 mile event and accompanying 5K, was disrupted when two runners suffered heart attacks close to the finish line.
Joyce Petersen, nurse operations supervisor for Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, said both were in serious condition Monday morning, she added.
No identity was available on either stricken runner.
Maurice Luque, San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesman, said the first call of a runner down at the water station on the 2000 block of Spindrift Drive came in at 9:42 a.m. He said the second call came in at 9:51 a.m. of a runner in apparent cardiac arrest at Spindrift Drive and Princess Street.
"These two, and five others unrelated, were transported to Scripps Memorial for a total of seven," he said.
Glen Rassmussen, the La Jolla Kiwanian in charge of the middle of the Half Marathon racecourse, said the club " had the ambulance service on call for anyone in distress." Reema Makani, public relations specialist for San Diego Medical Services, said the two cardiac arrests happened almost simultaneously "within a block of each other." The cardiac victims received prompt attention.
"We had a crew on the scene within seconds," Makani said. "The incidents happened right across the street from the Marine Room, which was one of our medical posts."
An employee of the Beach & Tennis Club was among the first to respond and assist.
Both victims responded to treatment and neither was in cardiac arrest when they arrived at the hospital emergency room, added Makani.
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