On Sunday, Anna Bretan of Berkeley took first place in the women’s race of the 2015 Berkeley Half Marathon for the third consecutive year. Bretan, whose time was 1:18:34, has also finished first in the San Francisco Marathon for the past three consecutive years.
There was also a Berkeley connection for Oakland resident Sam Robinson, who placed first in the men’s race, with a time of 1:12:22. Robinson is a student at UC Berkeley, finishing his Ph.D. in history.
And Holly McIlvaine, also of of Berkeley, took second place in the women’s half marathon with a time of 1:21:12. (See full results on the Berkeley Half Marathon’s website.)
More than 7,000 runners participated in the third annual Berkeley Half Marathon, according to the organizers. The event, which also includes a half marathon relay race and a 10K race, is produced in partnership with Cal Athletics, and raises funds for Berkeley youth through its official charity partner – the Berkeley Public Schools Fund.
The Half Marathon route takes in a significant cross-section of the city: it begins in Civic Center Park, goes up Telegraph Avenue, then across the UC Berkeley Campus, through the Gourmet Ghetto and into the streets of North Berkeley. Runners then take a tour of the West Berkeley, running through the Fourth Street neighborhood and then getting a good look at the Bay as they run down the Bay Trail. The route then takes runners back up to Civic Center Park where they cross the finish line.
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