Morning marathon benefits Santa Rosa pools, local charities

<p>Sonoma County runners were out in force Sunday at the second annual Santa Rosa Marathon, proof that the region's athletes were ready for a local race, organizers said.</p><p>The race attracted runners from as far as London, Brooklyn and small-town Alabama to run along Santa Rosa Creek.</p><p>Santa Rosa public pool users raised at least $15,000 at a special 5-kilometer “Save the Pools” benefit race for city pools, said Orhan Sarabi, a race organizer.</p><p>“The turnout is amazing,” Sarabi said as he watched runners cross the finish line. “It's about double the people, it was double the preparation and we get double the reward.”</p><p>Ian Sharman, 29, a recent London transplant who lives in San Jose, appeared relaxed as he crossed the finish line, smiling, with a winning marathon time of 2 hours and 35 minutes.</p><p>Sharman joined 221 other marathoners and 603 half marathoners at the race's 7 a.m. start at Juilliard Park in cool autumn-like weather, said Arthur Webb, race director. For the 5K, 573 people ran or walked.</p><p>“The route was dead flat and it was perfect weather,” Sharman said.</p><p>The sun broke through the fog at about 8 a.m., heating the air for finish line festivities.</p><p>“I love this race,” Kim Valerga of Santa Rosa said.</p><p>The 39-year-old half-marathon runner replenished with water and a banana as she sat in the grass with her 4-year-old son and husband as a blues band tuned up.</p><p>“It's fabulous,” she said. “You run past vineyards, through agriculture, the trees and the creek.”</p><p>Valerga finished the 13.1 mile course in about 2 hours, 4 minutes, she said.</p><p>The race left the downtown Santa Rosa park, followed the Prince Memorial Greenway path out to Willowside Road. Runners then turned back and did the loop twice for the full 26.2-mile race.</p><p>A 78-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were the oldest and youngest to cross Sunday's finish line. People came from 30 states to participate, Sarabi said.</p><p>Dolores Dalencia, 46, of Chino Hill ran the fastest marathon among women at 3 hours, 23 minutes and 17 seconds.</p><p>In the half marathon race, Alex Wolf-Root, 23, of Santa Rosa came in first at 1 hour, 13 minutes and 9 seconds. Megan Canova, 32, of Vacaville ran the fastest time for women, at 1 hour, 26 minutes, 21 seconds.</p><p>A woman fell and cut her head at the 10 mile mark, but otherwise people suffered only the usual blisters, chafing and scrapes, said Steve Wolf, a volunteer medic on hand near the finish line who practices family medicine at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa.</p><p>“Future Swimmers” and “Save our pools” was scrawled on the bare bellies and backs of expectant mothers Veronica Jordan, 33, and Ann Figurski, 29, both due to give birth in about a month.</p><p>Jordan and Figurski walked the 5K route in matching blue swimsuits. The pair, who both live in Santa Rosa and are recent graduates of the family medicine residency program at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, said they swim almost every day and hope the pools will stay open.</p><p>“It's been so therapeutic,” Jordan said.</p><p>“It's saved our backs,” Figurski said.</p><p>City officials have threatened to close the pools at the end of the fiscal year if they can't raise enough to make up for funds lost in budget cuts.</p><p>Proceeds raised by the marathon and half marathon will go to the Sonoma County Humane Society and the Valley of the Moon Children's Foundation.</p><p>Webb and Sabari, partners at True Grit Running, said they hoped to get the race certified so next year's runners can qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or e-mail julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com.</p>