STORY BY: JOHNNY GARCIA
STAFF WRITER
Run Seal Beach has returned for an in-person marathon for its 2022 event, set to kick off on March 19.
Run Seal Beach is a marathon that travels through Old Town Seal Beach, with four different events for the day.
The events include a 1K Fun Run for kids aged three to ten, a 5K Walk, a 5K Run, and a 10K Run. All events are $35 for entry, with the Kids 1K Fun Run costing $25. Registration is open until March 18. Each event will place you in specific age divisions, allowing you to participate with fellow competitors in your age group.
All participants will receive a free tee-shirt for competing. Participants can register either solo or as part of a team (teams must consist of ten or more participants for any event). Runners with pets or strollers are also welcomed but are required to be lined up during the last timing wave. Dogs must be kept on a short lease at all times. Children can be left at the Fun Zone at the Seal Beach Pier to be supervised by event volunteers while parents are in the race.
The marathon starts early, beginning at 7:30 a.m. for the Kids’ 1K Fun Run. The rest of the events begin at 8 a.m. You must pick up a race packet before the race, either on March 18 between 3 and 8 p.m. or before the event on March 19 between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m.
All of the events are timed, with timing starting once you cross the starting line. There are rewards that are given out to the top three finishers in each division, with a special reward granted to the top champions of the 5K and 10K Runs. There will be rewards for the overall top Male and Female competitors, as well as special rewards for residents of Seal Beach who finish at the top. A participation ribbon will be given to all of the children that are entered into the 1K Fun Run.
The following streets will be closed for the duration of the event: Marina Bridge (to/from Long Beach to Seal Beach), 1st Street (from Seal Beach Shores to Marina Drive to Ocean Avenue), Ocean Avenue (from 1st Street to 7th Street to Electric and Landing), Seal Beach Boulevard (from Electric to Pacific Coast Highway to Westminster Boulevard), Westminster Boulevard (from Seal Beach Boulevard to River Trail Input), and the Intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Seal Beach Boulevard. All streets will be open again starting from 10 a.m.
Run Seal Beach 2022 is the first return to in-person races for the series since going virtual in 2020. Options are available for those who choose to participate in a virtual race for the 2022 event. Run Seal Beach is a non-profit organization intended to raise funds and awareness for recreation programs in Seal Beach.
