Sports
Runners, Spectators Enjoy Nighttime Yuletide 5K
Spectators of the nighttime race witnessed a magical fluorescent stream of light as runners wore glow necklaces on a course lit by luminarias. Two 5K races were run, one at 3 p.m. and one at 5:30 p.m.
Editor's Note: This report focuses on the 5:30 p.m. Manhattan Beach Yuletide 5K and Kids Dash. Read about and view photos from the daytime 3 p.m. event:
More than 400 people from throughout Southern California descended upon the Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday to take part in the evening run in the 10th Annual Manhattan Beach Yuletide 5K and Kids Dash on Christmas Day.
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Palos Verdes resident Chase Zuckerman, who ran track at Palos Verdes High School where he was named Athlete of the Year in 2009 and who now competes for the UCLA cross country team, won the nighttime race with a blistering time of 17:07, crossing the line more than 45 seconds faster than second place finisher Eder Chavez of Montebello.
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Manhattan Beach resident Joey Merkin, 11 years old, captured first place in his age group and 39th in the race overall with a time of 26:27. Laura Guidolin, 14 years old, of Arcadia was the first female to cross the line with a time of 20:18, placing 12th overall.
“This is just a fun event to take part in,” said Zuckerman. “The course is awesome. The hard sand combined with the night sky make for a very memorable experience.”
Race organizer and Manhattan Beach resident Jeff Atkinson, who finished in third place overall and first for his age division with a time of 18:31, thought the race was a huge success and was pleased with the turnout and the magical Southern California weather.
“You really couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Atkinson, who graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1981 where he competed for legendary former Mustang cross country coaches Dave Holland and Terry Fredricks. “The sunset was spectacular and seeing the sea of fluorescent light shine off the water was pretty cool. People were coming up to me after the race and telling me what a great time they had and that’s why we do this race.”
For 76-year-old Hermosa Beach resident Frank Greene, who finished the race with an amazing time of 26:54, good for first place in his age division and 44th overall, the race is something that helps him recover from the all stress accumulated during the holidays.
“This where I can blow off all that steam that has built up over the course of the holiday,” Greene said. “I compete in this race every year because it helps me to relax and it’s a very fun event for the whole family.”
The race started under the dazzling Christmas lights of the pier as runners made their way to 45th Street, with the help of luminarias lighting the course, before heading back to the glow of the pier. The fluorescent glow necklaces provided to runners gave spectators a beautiful sight, as a trickle of light could be seen from the top of the pier throughout the entire course.
“We didn’t know what was going on,” said Mike Valenzuela, whose family took in the scene from the pier. “Our family came down to enjoy a beautiful Christmas sunset and we noticed all these glow necklaces on the beach and wondered what was going on. When we saw all the people running off into the darkness, the only thing we could see were the glowing necklaces, which was pretty cool,” said the Lawndale resident.
The Yuletide 5K is the sister race to the Manhattan Beach 5K, which is held in June. The June race coincides with the Summer Solstice, the longest day of sunlight for the year, while the Yuletide 5K is held on the Winter Solstice which has the shortest day of sunlight for the year. The solstice provides an extremely low tide, creating ideal running conditions for on the hard-packed sand.
“Today was a huge success,” said Atkinson. “You can tell that people enjoyed themselves by seeing the big smiles across their faces. It was a great day!”
