PHOTOS: Perfect weather helps make Irvine Half Marathon and 5K Run a success

Runners, including Ryan Welton and Bryce Shaver (front, left to right) begin the 5K race Saturday. (Photos Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

It was a perfect day for a race Saturday as more than 1,000 runners competed n the annual Irvine Half Marathon and 5K Run under sunny skies in Woodbridge.

The event started off in Woodbridge Village with the half marathon at 8 a.m. and a few minutes later, the 5K event started. It was part of one of the major fund-raisers for Woodbridge High Athletics.

Last year, rain put somewhat of a damper on the event. Saturday, there was no rain and temperatiures in the low 50’s at the start and runners and spectators were entertained with music provided by a DJ.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

“It went very well, we’re super pleased with the weather and last year was a little bit of a challenge,” said Woodbridge Athletic Booster Club President Jay Lyon. “We were looking forward to some good weather and we got it. Mascot Sports promotes this race as an event where people can come down to Orange County and enjoy the weather and have a good time.

“This year, it was a fantastic day. We’re looking forward to a long-term partnership with them.”

Lyon said there more than 1,300 runners in the two events combined.

“The half marathon piece was huge in terms of the number of people going off, a lot larger than the 5K, but it was a great turnout, larger than last year and exactly what we were looking for, to build on last year,” Lyon said.

In the 5K event, Woodbridge High runners Ryan Welton and Bryce Shaver took first and second. Welton had a time of 16:19 and Shaver was second in 16:41. Kevin Broady of Brea was third in 16:57.

“I’ve been training for two years,” said Welton, who runs cross country and track at Woodbridge. “It was great; I’ve raced in very hot conditions. I’ve race on harder courses than this. It was very nice weather today.”

Shaver, his teammate at Woodbridge was excited to finish second and encouraged by his parents.

“I felt good, I saw Ryan in front of me the whole race,” Shaver said. “I tried to just stick on him and then I saw two men behind me and I didn’t want them to catch me so I just tried to pace off Ryan and run as comfortable as I could.”

Shaver, a sophomore who competes with the Woodbridge track and cross country team, said he ran a similar event on the Fourth of July and also ran last year’s Irvine event.

“Today, my goal was to try and get top five, obviously I finished second so I was really pleased with that,” Shaver said.

In the half marathon, Max MacKinnon from Venice took first with a time of 1:13.52. Max Fitzgerald from Oakdale, Calif. took second in 1:15.30 and Caleb Terefe from Irvine was third in 1:17.48.

“I just moved back to California, I’m from LA,” MacKinnon said. “I moved back in November and was looking for a race to do and this one looked like a fun one.”

MacKinnon, 33, said he ran the 800 event in track in college. He has run two other half marathons, but this was the first one in Irvine.

“It was fun, it’s a nice course and it was a beautiful day and a fun community,” he said. “I come out here and have fun and I knew I had a chance of winning it but honestly, you never know.”

Many spectators lined the race route to cheer on the runners and also stopped by vending booths near the finish line. Competitors were provided refreshments and wine and beer was available for those 21 and over.

For complete results, go to the event’s website

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

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