Under cloudy skies, occasional sprinkles, and higher than usual humidity, the 2025 Rock 'n' Roll race series returned to central San Diego streets this weekend.
About 27,000 runners were up just after sunrise, Sunday, ready to pound the pavement starting at Sixth Avenue and Quince Street on the edge of Balboa Park. The full 26.2-mile marathon included 8,000 registered runners with another 19,000 runners on the 13.1 half-marathon course.
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A 5K run on Saturday attracted 4,000 runners. The annual event is known for bringing communities together and creating gridlock with street closures for several hours. The benefits outweigh the inconvenience, according to race organizer Emily Gibbs. "If you are anywhere along the course, you've got to lean into it. It's about creating a community for a couple of days. It's a great time to cheer people on," Gibbs said.
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SIGN UP A group of half-marathon runners crossed the finish line first at Ash and Union streets downtown. Many of the front-runners are coming in at just more than an hour. Abrham Tesfamaria of Flagstaff, Arizona, led the pack in the men's division. "It's a fun race with lots of hills. I really appreciated all the support along the way," said Tesfamaria.
Julia Vasquez of San Francisco didn’t beat her personal record, but was the women’s winner. Vasquez said, "It was a tough course, harder than I thought. It was pretty hot. Even though I didn't set a record for myself, I'm happy with the results."
The race day numbers also included one thousand volunteers who came to support the runners in their journey. Medical personnel were needed for a handful of participants who finished the races and needed treatment for heat exhaustion and dehydration. No serious injuries were reported.
Scarlette Mullenger, 15, was one of the volunteers at the finish line. She is a high school freshman who is also serving as Miss Teen Poway. Her passions include riding dirt bikes and helping people. She volunteered with other members of the Miss Teen Poway Scholarship program.
“[My job is] passing out water and just making sure the supply is good. When you’re running a marathon, you need plenty of water. Whatever we can do to help," she said.
You can find all the 2025 results once they are finalized by clicking here.
