Transamerica Rock ‘n‘ Roll Half Marathon San Francisco Draws Thousands

SAN FRANCISCO – April 6, 2014 – More than 10,500 runners toured the scenic streets of San Francisco at the 2^nd edition Transamerica Rock ‘n' Roll Half Marathon on Sunday, April 6, 2014. The new 2014 course started at the Pacific Ocean on Great Highway, ran across two lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge and finished on Polk Street at Civic Center Plaza.

Local runner Chris Mocko led the men's race right off the starting line, eventually breaking the tape-or rather, playing "limbo" with it-in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 28 seconds to successfully defend his title from a year ago. Elle Pishny of San Francisco also took advantage of her familiar surroundings, cruising to victory for the second straight year in 1:23:53.

 

"It was gorgeous out there," Mocko said of the clear skies and temperatures in the 50s that made for near-perfect racing conditions and afforded spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz island and downtown San Francisco. "I have a love-hate with the Golden Gate. It looks a lot flatter than it is."

Roger Craig, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers finished the half marathon in 1:47:28, running with his son Alexander. Craig helped to bring the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series to the Bay Area in 2006 with Rock ‘n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon.

 "It was an amazing race," said Craig. "People were having a great time out there, even on the challenging hills. When you finish a race you want to know you earned your medal and everyone definitely did with those hills. This race is great for the area and we couldn't have had better weather to show off the beautiful San Francisco surroundings. "

Title sponsor Transamerica raised $7,567 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through a unique "Charity Chaser" program. For every runner that "Tomorrow Makers" chaser Melody Parry Jones passed in the race, starting from the last corral, Transamerica donated one dollar to St. Jude. Jones, who finished in 1:52:48, ran strong passing more than 7,500 runners. Jones is a USATF Level 1 Certified Running Coach and currently works at Brooks as the Mid Atlantic Guru.

The new course ran through the Richmond District, the Sea Cliff neighborhood, the historic Presidio and the Marina district, followed by a back-and-forth across two-lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge. Participants also ran past Crissy Field and Fisherman's Wharf before finishing in front of City Hall.

 

2nd Transamerica Rock ‘n' Roll Half Marathon

San Francisco, CA, Sunday, April 6, 2014

 

Men's Half Marathon

1. Chris Mocko, 28, San Francisco, CA, 1:10:28

2. Ivan Medina, 28, Hayward, CA, 1:13:27

3. Matt Lenehan, 22, Mountain View, CA, 1:15:11

4. Ryan Smith, 18, Berkeley, CA, 1:15:25

5. Max Haines-Stiles, 27, San Francisco, CA, 1:16:07

 

Women's Half Marathon

1. Elle Pishny, 28, San Francisco, CA, 1:23:53

2. Megan Gentes, 19, Rocklin, CA, 1:28:25

3. Jen Yip, 33, San Francisco, CA, 1:30:00

4. Chloe Glare, 33, Belmont, CA, 1:29:23

5. Tatum, Del Bosco, 17, Pasadena, CA, 1:31:45

 

Source: Competitor Group Date: April 6, 201

 

For full results from the Transamerica Rock ‘n' Roll Half Marathon San Francisco, visit RunRocknRoll.com