Marube, Beynon half-marathon champions; 6th edition draws more than 4,000 entrants to run America’s Riviera
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – (November 8, 2014) – At the 6th Select Staffing Santa Barbara Veterans Day Marathon on a warm, cloudless postcard Saturday morning, Sammy Cheruiyot Mutai, 36, of Kenya and Paige Burgin, 22, from Los Alamitos, Calif. claimed titles in 2 hours, 31 minutes, 40 seconds and 3:06:39, respectively, while two-time Santa Barbara Marathon champion Moninda Marube, 35, of Kenya and Rita Beynon, 35, of Santa Barbara won the half-marathon , clocking 1:13:31 and 1:27:29. The community running event, the largest in Santa Barbara, drew 4,000 entrants and more than 3,100 finishers who ran from Goleta Valley to the new, spectacular Santa Barbara waterfront finish line at Leadbetter Beach.
“What a great day for running on America’s Riviera! Thankfully, the weather wasn’t as hot as forecast, and the Veterans Final Mile tribute down Shoreline Drive to Leadbetter Beach was the perfect way to finish our 6th edition,” said Rusty Snow, race director of the Select Staffing Santa Barbara Veterans Day Marathon. “We thank our sponsors, all the runners, the volunteers, the spectators and the community for making this event so special.”
In the Marathon, Cheruiyot Mutai led the field to the halfway point in 1:14:31 with runner-up Damon Valenzona, 28, of Santa Barbara right behind. At the 17 mile mark on a downhill stretch Cheruiyot Mutai, who won the Long Beach Marathon a month ago, pulled away and went unchallenged to the tape with a nearly 3 minute victory over Valenzona, a Santa Barbara Marathon Ambassador, who set a personal record in 2:34:30. Van McCarty, 44, from San Luis Obispo was third overall and first Master (40 & older) in 2:36:34, also a PR.
In the women’s 26.2 mile race, Burgin called her first marathon win “incredible and not expected”, while runner-up Jennifer Marquardt, 30, from Los Angeles was “happy” with her personal record 3:10:11 on a fall morning that was 58F at the start and hit 80F by the finish. Santa Barbara’s Deanna Odell, 48, was third overall and first Master, clocking 3:19:48.
Marube again triumphed in Santa Barbara, but this time in the half-marathon as the 2010-2011 SB Marathon champion and event record holder (2:22:29) was the class of the field. He hit the 10K mark in 31-plus minutes, but later was inadvertently led off course which added distance and he finished in 1:13:31, but still nearly 2 minutes ahead of runner-up Dermont Gorman, 32, from Dublin, Ireland.
In the women’s Half-Marathon, Beynon, who led from the gun, kept a steady pace all way to the line in a personal record 1:27:29
The top Masters in the 13.1 mile race were Todd Booth, 45, and Desa Mandarino, 43, both of Santa Barbara, in 1:16:56 and 1:29:40, respectively.
6th Select Staffing Santa Barbara Veterans Day Marathon
Santa Barbara, CA, Saturday, November 8, 2014
MEN
1) Sammy Cheruiyot Mutai, 36, KEN, 2:31:40
2) Damon Valenzona, 28, USA / CA, 2:34:30
3) Van McCarty, 44, USA / CA, 2:36:34
4) Jonathan Corley, 19, USA / CA, 2:41:18
5) Jason Smith, 35, USA / CA, 2:46:11
MASTERS MEN (40 & older)
1) McCarty, see above
WOMEN
1) Paige Burgin, 22, USA / CA, 3:06:39
2) Jennifer Marquardt, 30, USA / CA, 3:10:11
3) Deanna Odell, 48, USA / CA, 3:19:48
4) Hillary Shaw, 31, USA / MO, 3:20:04
5) Marjolaine Mazurier, 30, USA / CA, 3:23:50
MASTERS WOMEN (40 & older)
1) Odell, see above
5th Select Staffing Santa Barbara Veterans Day Half Marathon
MEN
1) Moninda Marube, 35, KEN, 1:13:31
2) Dermont Gorman, 32, IRL, 1:15:38
3) Matthew Gulden, 27, USA / CA, 1:16:11
4) Steven Garza, 35, USA / CA, 1:16:17
5) TJ Moffit, 20, USA / CA, 1:16:42
MASTERS MEN (40 & older)
1) Todd Booth, 45, USA / CA, 1:16:56
WOMEN
1) Rita Beynon, 35, USA / CA, 1:27:29
2) Samantha Robbins, 28, USA / CA, 1:28:50
3) Kara Beaton, 32, USA / CA, 1:29:13
4) Desa Mandarino, 43, USA / CA, 1:29:40
5) Rebecca Smith, 32, USA / CA, 1:29:50
MASTERS WOMEN (40 & older)
1) Mandarino, see above
For complete results and more, go to: geminitiming.com