This past weekend, over 1,250 participants took part in Catalina Island Marathon’s 47th annual event. Participants ventured through the scenic trails of Catalina, starting in Two Harbors and finishing in Avalon. The vistas and challenging climbs have been enjoyed by thousands of runners for close to five decades. Race day featured four different events all taking place on the island, including California’s oldest trail 26.2-mile marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a Kids Run.
“The Catalina Island Marathon is truly a unique trail running event, and it’s something our team looks forward to putting on each year,” said Mike Bone, President and CEO of Spectrum Sports Management, which produces the Catalina Island Marathon. “I’m thrilled to see the interest in the sport grow. The trail running community is truly one-of-a-kind and I hope to see more of these new runners joining our events in the coming years.”
Tayte Pollmann, the men’s marathon champion and overall first-place finisher, completed the 26.2 miles in 2:48:49, followed by the men’s marathon second-place finisher, Nathan Brown. Ben Brown, of Seattle, took the third-place spot for the men’s marathon. The women’s marathon course was led by Minnesota resident, Erica Mitchell, who finished with a time of 3:41:46. Second and third-place finishers for the women’s marathon were Katya Meyers and Suzanne Edmands.
The men’s 10K division was led by Ivan Fernandez, who finished with a time of 41:47, and Erkia Cook-Studt led the women’s division with a time of 50:36. First place finishers of the men’s and women’s 5K were Josh Camhi with a time of 24:35, and Talia Harrow with a time of 25:23.
The Catalina Island Marathon attracts trail runners of all experience levels from around the nation. Trail running as a whole has seen an influx of beginner trail runners, and was recently ranked the seventh fastest-growing sport of 2023 by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Events like the Catalina Island Marathon expect to continue to see more runners joining the trail running community and attending their events.
The Catalina Island Marathon is a part of Run Catalina Island’s Triple Crown Challenge. The challenge involves completing all three Run Catalina Island events within a 12-month period. This includes the Avalon 50K or 50 Mile, Catalina Island Marathon and Catalina Island Half Marathon. Runners may begin their Catalina Island Triple Crown journey with any one of these races, but all specified distances must be completed within a 12-month period, meaning they must finish all three races consecutively once they begin. Athletes who complete the challenge receive a Triple Crown finisher jacket, Hi-Tec shoes and a one-of-a-kind belt buckle. This year, 75 participants completed their Triple Crown journey at the Catalina Island Marathon.
For more information on The Catalina Island Marathon, visit www.catalinaislandmarathon.com. Follow the event on Instagram and Facebook.
