Politics & Government

Walnut Creek's Half-Marathon to Pass Through Concord

Second annual Walnut Creek Half-Marathon is scheduled for Dec. 8.

It's time to think about your training schedule — it's only half a year and a day away: the second annual Walnut Creek International Half & 5K Race.

The race course is being changed to alleviate traffic blockages on Ygnacio Valley Road. Event organizer Darryll Whaley told the Walnut Creek City Council Tuesday night about the course change. He also said the race has signed up a title sponsor, Tampico Terrace Care Center of Walnut Creek, for the second annual half-marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday, Dec. 8. The event has more than 30 sponsors, indicating a lot of community support, Whaley said.

This year's course, starting at Civic Park, will go east on Treat Boulevard, southwest on Cowell Road, back west on Ygnacio Valley Road, loop through Heather Farm Park and the Iron Horse Trail to finish back at Civic Park.  The idea is to lessen the traffic impact on Ygnacio Valley Road, which affected Ygnacio Valley businesses during the debut race on Dec. 10, 2011. In the first race, runners were going both ways on Ygnacio Valley, returning to finish in Civic Park.

This year's event will omit a 10-kilometer race but continue with a 5-K race, Whaley said. Part of the race revenues are donated to athletics in area high schools.

Olympic runner Lopez Lomong is signed up to be a pacer for the half-marathon, Whaley said. Lomong, 27, a U.S. citizen who came from South Sudan, set a world record in the 5K on a Stanford track in April even as he miscalculated how many laps were left.


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