America's Finest City Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in San Diego, California. ("America's Finest City" is the official nickname of San Diego.[1]) It was established in 1978. The event includes a 5K run.
History
America's Finest City Half Marathon was inaugurated in 1978 and has been held every year since then. By 1985, more than 6000 professional and amateur runners were taking part in the race each year.[2] The race is used to raise money for the American Lung Association and in its first fourteen years of existence it had cumulatively raised US$1.7 million for the nonprofit organization.
The race was sponsored by Home Federal Bank in the 1980s and early 1990s.[3][4] The race's organizers endured financial difficulties in 1992 after the loss of its title sponsor.[5] The race remained popular, however, and the following year over five thousand runners took part; among them was talk show host Oprah Winfrey, running under the pseudonym "Bobbi Jo Jenkins" and accompanied by a bodyguard, a trainer, and a video crew.[6]
At the 33rd edition in 2010, the half marathon and 5K races attracted an international field of almost 10,000 runners and the event had raised $3.8 million for non-profit organizations.[7] That year, Ethiopian training partners Ezkyas Sisay and Belaynesh Zemedkun topped the men's and women's fields respectively.[8]
Kenyan Nelson Oyugi holds the men's half marathon course record of 1:01:59, while Belaynesh Zemedkun is the women's record holder with her time of 1:10:28.[9] The men's race has been dominated by Kenyans, with 13 wins since the mid-1990s, but Americans are historically strong on the women's side with 17 race wins. The United States has produced the most winners overall, with 25 of the half marathon's winners hailing from the host country. Patrick Muturi of Kenya is the only man to win the race twice. Maria Trujillo has the most wins to her name, having won the race on four occasions.
A virtual race was held in 2020, and entrants were given the option to receive either a refund or defer their entry to 2021.
Race
The course of the half marathon has a point-to-point format. It starts on the Point Loma Peninsula next to Cabrillo National Monument – some 300 feet (91 m) above sea-level. The course heads north and descends towards San Diego Bay. Turning eastwards onto North Harbor Drive, the race enters a flat straight around the five mile (8 km) mark. After looping around Harbor Island, the course heads south, passing near Star of India. It traces a path northwards at this point, heading along Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street on its way to downtown San Diego. The race's finishing point is Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park.[10]
Past half marathon winners
America's Kirk Pfeffer won the 1981 edition.Japan's Hiromi Ominami won the women's race twice consecutively between 2007 and 2008.
