Pacific Palisades-Will Rogers 4th of July 5K/10K & Kids Races
The Honorary Mayor of the Palisades, Sugar Ray Leonard and Monsignor Liam Kidney, pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, watch the Palisades-Will Rogers racers prepare at 8am
The 34th annual Palisades-Will Rogers Run on Fourth of July morning and 2,471 runners prepare for the start of the races
Former Will Rogers 5/10K runner Townsend Bell drives the pace car
Singing of the National Anthem by 9th grader Claire Nordstrom
And they're off!
Grant Stromberg #1100 runs a 10K, 5K winner Andrew Bland #94 and runner-up Andrew Lockton #3023. Andrew Bland would win the 5K in a time of 15:52
Many were pushed
The winner of the 5K race, Andrew Bland, heads for the finish line
First through the chute was lifelong Palisadian Andrew Bland, a senior-to-be at Loyola High School, who ran the 5K in 15:52, a personal-best by two seconds.
Andrew Lockton of Santa Monica was second in the 5K, crossing the line in 16:14
Women's 5K winner Therese Fricke approaches the finish line
Getting ready for the big race day in Pacific Palisades
Bill Simon, Bob Benton and Ray Leonard cheer for Claire Nordstrom.
The race is about to begin
There were 2,471 runners in this year's race, 1,490 in the 5K and 981 in the 10K. The field included 1,142 Palisadians.
Merrie Seaman, Deborah Gershenhorn, Miriam Youngerman and Uttara Natarajan
Andrew Bland breaks the finish line tape in a personal best time
Carlos Vizcarra (left) and Jared Jones in a sprint for third place in the 5K
Palisadian Kathryn Turner crosses the finish line, coming in 2nd in the 5K, just ahead of friend Zoe Johnson
Bob Benton, the "host" of the races
Pals
Brian Shea (left) rides in the pace car before the start of Monday's race
The Stage is Set outside Palisades Park
Jim Lubinski #1266 would win the 10K and Andrew Bland #94 would win the 5K
Alma Real Drive is a sea of humanity at the start of Monday's 5/10K run
Runners head up Alma Real Drive into the Huntington Palisades
Andrew Bland is interviewed for the Palisades PATCH website by Sports Editor Steve Galluzzo. You can read the article at www.pacificpalisadespatch.com
First baby to be pushed past 5K finish line
Therese Fricke won the women's 5K race for the third time in 18:24
Jim Lubinski, the men's 10K winner heads for the finish line