It’s that time of year again. Sunday, April 23 will be the 36th running of the La Jolla Half Marathon and Shores 5K. Over 5,000 runners are expected to participate in the events. Half marathon participants start at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and run a scenic 13.1 miles down the coast to the finish line at Ellen Browning Scripps Park. 5K participants start near UCSD Mesa Housing on La Jolla Shores Drive, run the last 3.1 miles of the half marathon course and also finish at the Cove. All participants receive a top-quality technical fabric race shirt, souvenir cinch bag, B-tag timing, great course support and finisher medal for Half Marathoners. All finishers are also treated to a pre-stuffed bag filled with tasty post-race nutrition, coconut water, TruMoo chocolate milk and a complimentary Ballast Point beer along with Rubio’s chips, salsa and guacamole for those 21 and over.
Both races start at 7:30 a.m.with a three-hour time limit for the half marathon. Southbound traffic will be affected on 101 in Solana Beach and Del Mar, along Torrey Pines Road, in La Jolla Shores, Prospect Place, and Coast Boulevard. After the race, many participants will stay in the Village to enjoy the shops and restaurants. Village merchants will be on the lookout for the proud finishers sporting their medals and race shirts.
The events are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the race are donated to charitable organizations in the months after the races. Please pardon any inconvenience caused by the event. The money raised makes a huge difference in the lives of many deserving people. There is still time to register if you are interested in participating either as a runner or a volunteer. Just go to www.lajollahalfmarathon.com or type La Jolla Half Marathon into your browser and sign up. Registration for both events will also be available at the Hilton San Diego/Del Mar on Jimmy Durante Boulevard on Friday, April 21 from noon to 6 p.m. and on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.