The fifteenth annual 26.2 Mile Marathon was run under a Saturday morning sunrise in the middle of November at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
This year, the season’s main event included a visit from James McCanne, and Lewis Savona, representatives from the Hoka shoe manufacturing company.
The 1000 Mile Club sponsored the marathon while shoe giant Hoka sponsors the running club.
“I believe running can change your life,” stated Amy Cameron. “I came to the program after meeting former resident of San Quentin Markel “The Gazelle” Taylor at a running practice on the outside.” Cameron was assisting in her second marathon here at the Q.
McCanne added, “It was a trip, I’ve never been in a penitentiary before, birds flying and chirping, not as scary as one might think.” McCanne has been with Hoka for three years.
Correctional Officer Ramirez of SQRC’s California Model Resource Team supported the marathon by striving to run its full distance. Sadly, an injury he sustained at home was still on the mend and he had to alter his lofty goal.
Ramirez completed five miles in one hour thirteen minutes while also operating SQRC’s drone which took pictures and videos of the event.
“I was inspired to come here. This is really a different experience [and] if I can be of help to the runners that’s great,” proclaimed Savona who has been with Hoka for four years.
In attendance was legendary marathoner runner Frank Ruona. The event named in his honor.
“I’m honored by it,” exclaimed Ruona. Ruona has been volunteering with the program since 2005. When asked of his favorite moments of the track year, Rouna stated “[It’s] the monthly runs leading up to the marathon.”
“We had seventy starters which is amazing,” said longtime volunteer Diana Fitzpatrick. “We were expecting fifty (and) had about eight race day registrations.”
Fitzpatrick added that it takes lots of volunteers to pull off an event of this magnitude with volunteers coming from all different backgrounds.
David Jackson, an avid runner reminisced about his five year hobby of running, which included his firstever North Face Endurance Challenge event a ‘fifty miler.’
“It was surreal. The clank of the door shutting and locking with correctional officers everywhere” stated Jackson. “My experience is probably different than others,” Jackson served one year in Santa Cruz County Jail and was granted diversion on his first offense.
He said he discovered the 1000 Mile Club on social media and reached out to volunteer. At his first SQRC track event, he eagerly spent a large part of the day calling out ‘laps completed’ to runners as they passed the start/finish line.
“We do this because we want to build community and create goals for athletes. To take goal setting and apply it to other parts of their lives,” explained Tim Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has been a longtime supporter and volunteer of the running club.
Les Pershall exclaimed, “This isn’t fabricated, this is authentic.” Pershall has been volunteering for over a year and was previously acquainted with the Fitzpatrick’s.
Two-time marathon champion Jose Fajardo finished with a time of three hours twenty minutes, and thirty-nine seconds.
“I feel tired but excited. This is my second, [as] I ran last year,” said Fajardo. “I got a cramp but [there are] no excuses.”
Fajardo said the cool weather positively impacted his run. “The hot weather makes it tougher and there was a chance of rain.”
“Today was a little more than I expected, so I’ll keep training. It’s never too late to start, so I encourage everyone,” said Fajardo.
The final runner, Daniel Newman completed the full distance in 6 hours five minutes and fifty-seven seconds.
He was the thirty-seventh runner to complete the full distance, percentage points short of fifty percent of the number of starters, a new record.
