2000 or so competitors toed the line for the second running of the Santa Monica Classic in aid of Heal the Bay.The sun rose in a cloudless sky, a slight onshore breeze cooled the temperature which at 7am was around 65F. The course started next to Santa Monica Beach after a short distance south the route reversed and headed uphill for the next 2.5 miles. The crowd soon thinned out with the early sprinters fading and the club runners taking up the pace. The first mile was along Main Street which had been closed to traffic, a unique feeling in Los Angeles!
A quick jink left and right and we were onto the palm lined Ocean Boulevard and were at mile 2 before you know it. The first water stop was here and I grabbed a cup on the fly fortunately I checked the contents before splashing my face with it, just as well as it was Gatorade!
At the 2.5 mile point we turned around and we treated to a gentle downhill slope back the way we came, I had been drafting a woman for most of the way and at this point she took off, and left me looking at her heels – don’t you just hate it when that happens!The last quarter mile goes by in a blur as they always do; before you know it you’ve gone through the finish arch, down the chute and it’s all over: all in 20:47.
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