Posted: August 1, 2004

Athletics: Weru and Loken Earn Victories at San Francisco Chronicle Marathon

From: Mark Winitz

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - (August 1, 2004) - San Francisco's patented mid-summer cool and mild conditions were made to order for the 27th Anniversary San Francisco Chronicle Marathon today. Approximately 7,800 runners and walkers participated in the featured 26.2-mile marathon, marathon relay, two half marathons, and 5K run.

Leading the way in the marathon were victors John Weru of Kenya and Susan Loken of Phoenix, Ariz. Weru won the men's race in 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 41 seconds. Loken topped the women in 2:50:21. They led 3,278 marathon starters in an event that starts and finishes on San Francisco's historic waterfront and tours many of the city's scenic attractions.

Both the men's and women's winners breezed to relatively unchallenged wins. Weru, 24, who resides and trains in nearby Mountain View, Calif. with three other Kenyans, led from the starting gun and never faltered over the moderately hilly course. Now, he joins his roommate Patrick Kamau, who won last year's race, as a San Francisco Chronicle Marathon champion.

Weru held company with several of the top men in the accompanying half marathon race for 13.1 miles of the 26.2-mile distance. He hit halfway in 1 hour and 13 minutes. But, over the more hilly second half, Weru was alone. Jonah Backstrom, 30, of San Francisco, finished second almost two minutes behind at 2:35:39. Vitas Ezerskis, 43, also of San Francisco, was third in 2:43:36. Ezerskis, who placed second overall last year, also successfully defended his masters (age 40 and over) title.

"I'm pleased with my time because mostly I ran the race alone," said Weru, who also won this year's Lake Tahoe Marathon. "I'm happy because I was running to win. But you really need to have some company on the course to run a fast time."

Weru finished short of the men's course record of 2:31:46 set by Nate Bowen in 2002.

Loken, 41, however, missed Magdalena Lewy's women's course record of 2:50:11, set in 2002 by just 10 seconds.

"My objective was to run the first half easy and then kick it into my goal marathon pace, and I think I achieved it," said Loken who qualified for and finished 31st in this year's U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials race in 2:44:20. "I would have liked to have gotten the record; I gave it a shot."

Behind Loken, Yukiko Nishida, 42, of Rye, New York placed second in 3:10:30. Cheryl Tronson, 46, of Bend, Ore. was third in 3:13:45.

For their winning efforts Weru earned $1,000 as the overall men's winner and Loken pocketed a dandy $2,000 for the women's overall and women's masters victories. A total prize purse of $10,000 was distributed in the marathon and half marathons.

In addition to the marathon, the event offers two half marathons. Participants can choose which half marathon they want to run, negotiating either the first 13.1 miles or second 13.1 miles of the marathon course. The winners of the "first" half marathon were James Sheremeta (1:13:30), 40, of La Jolla, Calif. and Eileen White (1:31:47), 41, of Piedmont, Calif. Peter Gilmore, 27, of Menlo Park, Calif. successfully defended his men's title in the "second" half marathon in 1:04:13. Robin Shank, 33, of San Francisco was the second half marathon women's winner in 1:30:43.

In the accompanying 5K race, San Franciscan Sean Drake, 20, took the men's crown in 16:13 and Michelle Gallagher, 18, of Daly City, Calif. topped women in 18:01.

The marathon's unique "Cause to Run" program allows participants to pledge support to any of the event's official charity organizations, raise funds, and earn pledge prizes by participating in any of the running/walking events. Last year, race participants raised over $110,000 for local charities that provide valuable and much-needed services for the community.

The 2004 Chronicle Marathon is sponsored by the San Francisco Chronicle, sfadobe.com, EnergyWell Natural Foods, KPIX Channel 5, KCBS All News 740 am, Organs 'R' Us, Clairol Natural Instincts, Chiquita, GU2O Sports Drink, GU Energy Gel, UCSF Medical Center, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, and the Port of San Francisco.