First Paralyzed Man to Walk Across the Finish Line of Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Feb. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 15,000 participants attended the 21st annual Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon and Active Lifestyle Expo in Huntington Beach, California, on Sunday. Runners from over 17 countries, all 50 USA states and over 1,000 cities participated in California's largest combined oceanfront marathon and half marathon, which takes place along a portion of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, including Adam Gorlitsky. Adam was told he would never walk again – at the age of 19 – after a car accident. Paralyzed from waist down, but thanks to the incredible technologic of a robotic Exoskeleton, he completed five miles of the 2017 Surf City event, in over 12,000 steps.
"It's important to me to run Surf City because fighting for the right to walk is a lot more fun when you have great scenery, and even better people around you! I Got Legs!"
"The Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon is cherished by the running community and we are inspired to see Adam cross the Finish Line of the 21st annual event," said Amy Tomchak, General Manager of the Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon.
"The race and expo have become an international destination event that celebrates active lifestyle and the surfing community. We congratulate all runners for participating, and we give special thanks to each of our sponsors and hundreds of crew and volunteers who helped make this weekend a huge success," Tomchak added.
The race start and finish took place in front of The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton hotel, and featured an oceanfront course along Pacific Coast Highway, past Huntington Beach Pier and through legendary Southern California surfing beaches. Highlights included the three-day Active Lifestyle Beach Expo, live musical performances by local bands and the Samuel Adams® Post Race Beer Garden.
The top male finisher in the marathon division was Broderick Gann, from New York, NY, with an unofficial race time of 2:34:57.
The top female finisher in the marathon division was Lauren Reasoner, from Sahuarita, AZ, with an unofficial race time of 3:02:46.04.
The top male finisher in the half marathon division was Joshua Sherfey from Santa Clarita, CA with an unofficial race time of 1:08:24.
The top female finisher in the half marathon division was Caroline Boller from Solvang, CA with an official race time of 1:19:21.
"On behalf of the Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon, I would like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors, including Samuel Adams®, TruMoo, CLIF BAR & Company & Bai," Tomchak added.
Other sponsors included Vitalyte Sports Drink, Mother's Market & Kitchen and So Delicious Dairy Free.
ABOUT SURF CITY USA MARATHON: The Surf City USA Marathon and Half Marathon plays host to over 15,000 participants from around the world. The exclusive oceanfront course runs on the Pacific Coast Highway, past the Huntington Beach Pier and through Southern California surfing beaches. For more information, visit www.runsurfcity.com.
SOURCE Surf City USA Marathon
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