Mar Vista Man Wins Catalina Marathon

Thirty-five-year-old Mar Vista resident Kevin Purcell, won the 34^th annual Catalina Marathon in Avalon on Saturday.

According to unofficial results, Purcell completed the marathon, which stretched from Two Harbors to Avalon, in two hours, 50 minutes and 22 seconds, just 26 seconds ahead of 29-year-old John Tribbia of Boulder, Co.

Purcell also won the Buffalo Run Half Marathon on Catalina Island and the Rose Bowl Half Marathon in Pasadena, making him the first to win all three races.

Jennifer Lantham, 42, from Yorktown Heights, New York, won the women’s marathon.

Eleven hundred runners from 13 countries competed in the race, which went ahead as planned, despite some damage to the area following the fallout from the Tsunami caused by Thursday night’s earthquake in Japan.

Jack Caress, owner of the Pacific Sports, LLC, which conducted the race, said the course was held on dirt trails where the island’s feral buffaloes graze, in an area usually inaccessible to the public.

Mar Vista Patch will follow up on this story with photos and an interview with Purcell.

This story was compiled with additional information from City News Service.