Pasadena Man One of Two Reigning Champs to Win Berkeley Half Marathon Again This Year

The two reigning champions of the Berkeley Half Marathon both won the race again Sunday, a spokeswoman for the race said. Anna Bretan, 29, of Berkeley is a nurse and a mother of three children, said spokeswoman Karima Zafiro. She won the race last year and also won the 2013 and 2014 San Francisco Marathon.

Zafiro said Bretan completed the half marathon course today in one hour and 16 minutes. J.P. Slater, 23, of Pasadena, is also the previous year’s half marathon winner, Zafiro said. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in May and ran for the school’s cross county and track and field teams.

Slater won the race with a time of one hour and eight minutes, Zafiro said. Zafiro said the event raised $25,000 for its official race charities, the Berkeley Public School Fund and the Cal Alumni Student Association. Lark Ryan, the marketing manager for the Berkeley Half Marathon, said he was “thrilled” with the turnout at the event.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with UC Berkeley and an even bigger race in 2015.” It was the second annual half marathon for the city, Zafiro said. The race is organized by the San Francisco-based company, Jumping Fences, Inc.

By Bay City News

Photo: J.P. Slater, 23, of Pasadena.