Runners sprinted into action Aug. 19 as the 30th EAS America’s Finest City Half Marathon charity programs raised $153,364 for 14 local, national and international nonprofit organizations.
A record 9,502 runners turned out for the event from 46 states and 14 countries, selling out the half-marathon and accompanying AFC 5K.
The scenic 13.1-mile point-to-point course opened at the Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma, stretching along San Diego Bay, through Downtown and winding up in historic Balboa Park. The AFC 5K was held in Balboa Park.
Neil Finn, race director and president of Neil Finn Sports Management, commended the event’s participants, sponsors and volunteers.
“What a meaningful way to celebrate the race’s 30th anniversary,” he said.
During the last few events, the AFC half-marathon has raised over $2.1 million for nonprofit organizations, according to race organizers.
Local charities benefiting from the 2007 event include: the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, Family Health Centers San Diego, Boys and Girls Club, Rady’s Children Hospital, Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the Monarch School, which provides education and basic services to homeless and at-risk kids.
Among the national charities that benefited: the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, American Melanoma Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
A contribution was also made to the Entoto Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to helping Ethiopians gain access to medical care and treatment that is not available to them.
The 31st America’s Finest City Half Marathon is planned for Aug. 17, 2008. For more information, visit www.afchalf.com, or call (760) 692-2900.
” From staff