Santa Monica PAL Youth Compete In Los Angeles Marathon

Of the more than 24,000 runners competing in the 2018 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon, 11 Santa Monica Police Activities League, PAL, Youth were in the mix and all of them completed the 26.2 mile race from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica on Sunday, March 18, 2018.

The Santa Monica PAL Youth runners and medal recipients are Christopher Aguilar, 17, Jessye Bautista, 16, Katie Bravo, 16, Luis Buenrrostro, 14, Benjamin Castillo, 14, Jesse Del Rio, 15, Kim Hansen, 14, Justin Lee, 18, Daniela Medina, 17, Karen Morales, 15, and Zaahir Shorter, 17.

When asked, “What it means to them to finish the LA Marathon,” several youth runners said,

- “Finishing the LA Marathon means to me that I overcome 26.2 miles. Also to finish it is what I have been training and committed my time so it is important.” – Jesse Del Rio

- “To me finishing the LA Marathon means that so many months of hard work have paid off and it also will show me that if I can do a marathon I can do anything.” – Karen Morales

- “What it means to finish is that I’ll be proud and that I’ve done something that I thought I couldn’t do.” – Benjamin Castillo

- “To finish the marathon would mean I can accomplish anything and I will be able to unlock the force.” – Kim Hansen

“We are very proud of each one of the PAL runners that competed and completed the Los Angeles Marathon,” says Eula Fritz, Director at Santa Monica Police Activities League. “The kids were extremely dedicated in their trianing and spent many hours in preparation for the race. It takes determination, commitment and charcter to finish the race. These are some of the traits that we try to instill in our PAL kids daily.”

The Skecher’s Performance Los Angeles Marathon is one of the four largest marathons in the United States and one of the top 10 worldwide. The race was contested over the iconic Stadium to the Sea course that started at Dodger Stadium and passed through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills before finishing in the City of Santa Monica. The race concluded at the intersection of Ocean and California avenues, just steps from the Pacific Ocean. The course featured a host of local landmarks, such as Los Angeles City Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, TCL Chinese Theater, the Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive and finished near the Santa Monica Pier.

The Santa Monica PAL is a City of Santa Monica staffed nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe and supervised place for young people. PAL teaches skills, promotes self-respect and respect for others, and helps kids reach out to their peers and to adults. PAL provides free academic and cultural programs and a wide variety of recreational activities.

All PAL Programs are free and open to youth ages 6 to 17-years-old living or attending school in Santa Monica. The PAL Youth Center is located at 1401 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404. The Center is open year-round, Monday-Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and Saturday noon to 6 p.m. For information, please visit smpal.org or call 310-458-8988.