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52nd Wharf to Wharf goes down to the wire

The 52nd edition of the Wharf to Wharf road race lived up to its billing, and then some.

Fresno’s Evert Silva surged past four runners over the finishing downhill stretch into Capitola Village and edged Aidan Reed, of Helena, Montana, at the finish line in front of hundreds of cheering fans Sunday.

Silva and Reed both completed the scenic, 6-mile trek from Santa Cruz with chip elapsed times of 27 minutes, 3 seconds on a brisk morning under an overcast sky, perfect for running.

It was Silva’s first time competing in the race. The Oklahoma City University junior student-athlete said he was hoping to perform well in several races this summer to earn some money to help pay for bills. He earned a great payday.

The top male and female finishers each earned $4,000. Silva was also awarded an extra $1,000 for finishing as the top American runner.

“I’ve heard a lot about it,” Silva said. “I know it’s a competitive race, so I wanted to show up when I knew I was in good shape to compete with all the top-level athletes who come here.”

Evert Silva raises his arms in triumph as he is cheered by the crowd at the Capitola finish line after winning the 2024 Wharf to Wharf on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Evert Silva, 24, of Fresno, takes a final look back over his shoulder on Sunday before crossing the Capitola finish line to win the men’s title at the 2024 Wharf to Wharf race. Second-place finisher Aidan Reed, second from right, and third-place finisher Matt Baxter finished shortly after Silva. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Women's winner Everlyn Kemboi smiles as she breaks the tape at the Wharf to Wharf on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Oliver Chang, of Santa Cruz, exults as he crosses the Capitola finish line with a time of 29:16 to win the local men's title at the Wharf to Wharf race. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Runners, including men’s winner Evert Silva, wearing bib No. 13, get off to a fast start as the Wharf to Wharf begins Sunday morning on Beach Street in Santa Cruz. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Reid Buchanan is splashed by a cup of water that was errantly put in his way by the outstretched arm of a volunteer as the lead pack runs through the Harbor roundabout Sunday morning. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)Dominique Scott crosses the finish line in second place with a time of 30:33 on Sunday, four seconds behind women’s winner Everlyn Kemboi. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Matt Baxter, takes the lead on Beach Street at the start of Sunday’s Wharf to Wharf. Baxter led on-and-off for much of the race and finished in third. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Former Aptos High track standout Trent Nosky is cheered by the crowd as he finishes Sunday’s race with a time of 30:11. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Grace Barnett, of San Diego, crosses the finish line with a time of 31:21, just edging out Alice Wright, at left, for fifth place. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

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Evert Silva raises his arms in triumph as he is cheered by the crowd at the Capitola finish line after winning the 2024 Wharf to Wharf on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

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Reed earned $3,000 for second place. Matt Baxter, a two-time national champion from New Zealand, took third in 27:05 and earned $2,000. Ali Abdilmana of Ethiopia took fourth in 27:16 and earned $1,000, and Arturs Medveds of Latvia rounded out the top five in 27:28.

Race organizers expected a competitive race, given the times previously run by athletes in the elite field, and it was a thriller to the final step.

While plenty of the participants in the 16,000-runner field trained for the heralded event — arguably the biggest sporting event held in Santa Cruz County each year — few trained with ferocity of Silva.

Silva usually tries to train in the morning to avoid the suffocating, triple-digit temperatures that are commonplace in the Central Valley during the summer, but he added plenty of afternoon sessions, too. His showing along the coast, with views of picturesque Monterey Bay, was quite literally a breeze.

“I try to run in the morning,” he said. “But every afternoon run it’s 110 (degrees), so I said, ‘A lot of people aren’t training in that, and if I could just do it every week something good is going to come out of it.’ I guess it was being able to run fast in 60-degree weather in Santa Cruz.”

The lead pack featured eight runners for much of the first five miles. The runners traded the lead throughout that stretch. Baxter led at the mile marker, and Kenya’s Shadrack Keter, the third-place finisher at the 2023 Wharf to Wharf, crossed the second mile balloon archway in front.

Kenya’s Peter Mwaniki Njeru moved from second into the lead at the third archway, but he dropped back to fourth place as the lead pack thinned to five runners. Reed jumped in front and led at the fourth- and fifth-mile markers.

All the while, Silva stayed in the hunt, patient and ready to pounce.

“The downhill was extremely steep,” said Silva, of the finishing stretch. “And I’m a sub-4 miler, so I knew I can sprint with anybody. Those guys ahead of me, to my knowledge, they’re not sub-4 milers, so I knew I had some speed. Thankfully, I was able to hold it off.”

It was his second win in as many days. He took first at the Miguel Reyes Elite 5K in Fresno on Saturday.

American Everlyn Kemboi, a Kenyan native who won the 2023 NCAA title in the 10K, earned her second win as a professional. She topped the women’s field in 30:29. She passed Dominique Scott, who has citizenship in both South Africa and the U.S., with 600 meters to go.

“I’m so happy to be here,” Kemboi said. “I love racing in California. I came here last year. I was fifth. That was my first professional race.”

She wanted to come back and improve her showing. Kemboi credited her training for an improved effort. She said she’s running with peace of mind, so much so that she was surprised how quickly the race ended.

“I trust my finish, but today I was feeling great,” Kemboi said. “I was like, ‘Oh, we’re almost at the end. I only have six to seven meters to go. What?!?! I’m feeling good.’ ”

Scott, who was teammates with Aptos native and 2024 Olympian Nikki Hiltz at University of Arkansas, took second in 30:33.

If Scott returns next. year, she’ll have some useful course knowledge to rely upon.

“The girl that won, she made a little surge past me,” Scott said. “I didn’t realize how aggressive the downhill was going to be and that once she was two steps in front of me, I wouldn’t be able to catch her because it’s that aggressive of a downhill. That was definitely a mistake on my behalf. I would’ve loved the win, but I’m also happy with my race today.”

Scott is enjoying the process of training to compete in the next Chicago Marathon.

“It’s a hard course, but a fun course,” said Scott, of the Wharf to Wharf. “It’s cool how the locals come out to support. It was a great day. … They’re aren’t many races this time of year where you can get a perfect morning race. It’s usually pretty hot for all road races during the summer. I really enjoyed the weather.”

Kayley Delay of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, finished in 30:52 to hold off Ethiopia’s Atsede Baysa (30:55) for third place. Grace Barnett of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, took fifth in 31:21.

Santa Cruz’s Oliver Chang (29:16) and Watsonville’s Daniela Salazar (34:38) earned top local honors.

Chang, who grew up in South Pasadena and competed for Pomona College, moved to the area two years ago and used his extra year of eligibility competing for NCAA Division III UC Santa Cruz’s cross country and track programs.

Sunday was Chang’s first competitive race since competing in the San Francisco Half Marathon a year ago to the day. He began training in earnest 10 weeks ago.

“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier with how the day went.”

Sunnyvale’s Daniel Mendez, who purchased a home in Brentwood roughly two weeks ago, competed in the race for the first time and came away with a handsome payday. His bib number, 9948, was drawn in the Golden bib contest, which earned him $5,000. He had no idea of the significance of being awarded a golden bib at the outset of the race, but several runners informed him that he should stick around and attend the awards ceremony.

“This is insane,” he said.

(07/29/2024) Views: 366 ⚡AMP
by Santa Cruz Sentinel

Even in an Olympics year, elite fields are deep for Wharf to Wharf road race Sunday

The 52nd Wharf to Wharf race takes place Sunday, and 16,000 runners will make the annual 6-mile trek from Santa Cruz to Capitola. This time, they'll do so in an Olympic year.

Supportive fans who position themselves along the course route will not only be treated to an up-close view of a blazing quick elite field, and plenty of recreational runners, some of them costumed, they'll also get to take in the traditional array of musical groups that line the course.

Some of the world's best middle distance and distance runners are in Paris for the 2024 Summer Games, but Dayne Gradone, the Wharf to Wharf's elite athlete coordinator, believes the celebrated local race drew a heck of a field.

"On the whole, the fields are solid," said Gradone, of the elite entries for men and women. "There may be less pop at the front, but they're deep fields."

There are plenty of registered athletes whose résumés include 28-minute finishes in the 10K and 13:20 marks in the 5K.

One of the top runners in the field is Peter Njeru.  Earlier in the year he clocked a 27:52 10k.  He was just a 34 minute 10k runner before he joined the KATA (Kenyan  Athletics Training Academy in Thika) training camp in 2020.  Second photo is Peter having lunch with KATA's founder/director Bob Anderson going on his plans for the Race.  Bob recently opened his second KATA location in Portugal. 

As usual, runners will have plenty of incentive to finish in the top four. The top male and female finishers will each receive $4,000. Second pays $3,000, third garners $2,000, and fourth pays $1,000. The top American runner will also receive $1,000.

The women's field is headlined by Dom Scott and Atsede Baysa.

Scott is a two-time Olympian, five-time NCAA champion and two-time national champ. She has dual citizenship (South Africa and U.S.) and is eligible for the top American runner prize.

Ethiopia's Baysa has won three major marathons, claiming the Boston title in 2016, and Chicago title in 2010 and '12.

"The women's field is incredibly deep," Gradone said. "A lot of women have run in the low 15 minutes in the 5K. Those are some serious times."

Gradone is alluding to talents like Bahrain's Bontu Edao Rebitu, and Americans Kayley Delay, Katie Izzo, Grace Barnett, and Paige Wood. Australia's Clare O'Brien isn't far off, and Great Britain's Alice Wright could also be in the mix.

American Everlyn Kemboi, the 2023 NCAA champ in the 10K, was added to the field this week.

Top female locals include Santa Cruz's Amy Schnittger, an Aptos High and Chico State University alumna, and Mari Friedman, a Santa Cruz High and Oregon State University alumna.

Kenya's Shadrack Keter, the third place finisher at the Wharf to Wharf last year, is one of the favorites in the men's field, as are New Zealand's Matt Baxter, a two-time national champion, Kenya's Peter Mwaniki Njeru, Ethiopia's Ali Abdilmana, and Zimbabwe's Bradely Makuvire.

A strong American contingent includes Reid Buchanan, a silver medalist in the 10,000 at the 2019 Pan American Games, Noah Droddy, Sidney Gidabuday, Aidan Reed, Patrick Smyth, Zac Hine and Evert Silva.

Top local males include St. Francis High alum Julian Vargas, who took fifth at the 2024 3C2A State Championships in the 10,000 for Hartnell College, and Aptos native Jack Rose, who took 54th out of 26,469 runners at the 128th Boston Marathon in April.

Vargas (29:28) took ninth at the 2023 Wharf to Wharf and Rose (30:49) took 33rd.

(07/27/2024) Views: 341 ⚡AMP
by Jim Seimas

Tigist Ketema set a course record to win the women’s contest, and USA’s Diego Estrada won the men’s wharf to Wharf race

The latest results from the 2023 Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile race, which took place on Sunday, 23 July, in the City of Capitola. This year was the 49th edition of the event, and the races were won by Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema, who set a course record to win the women’s contest, and USA’s Diego Estrada, the winner of the men’s race.

Highlighting the 2023 Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile competition, which took place in California, was the record-breaking performance by Tigist Ketema, who clocked an impressive 29:51 to secure the victory. Her time was a new women’s course record, and she pocketed USD $4000 for her effort.

The previous Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile course record of 29:59 was set by Kenya’s Caroline Rotich in 2018.

Kenya’s Sarah Naibei ran a time of 30:13 to take second place behind Ketema to collect USD $3000, with third place going to Ethiopia’s Werkuha Getachew, who clocked 30:37 and earned USD $2000.

Meanwhile, USA’s defending champion Ednah Kurgat, who clocked 30:29 to win last year’s race, was only fourth this year in 30:38.

Diego Estrada Dominates Men’s Race

In the 2023 Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile men’s race, experienced runner Diego Estrada returned from his second-place finish to Emmanuel Bor last to clock 27:14 to run away with the title this year and earned USD $4000, plus an additional USD $1000 in bonus money.

Kenya’s Josphat Kipchirchir clocked in at 27:48 for second place, with his fellow countryman, Shadrack Keter, following home closely at 27:50 in third place. USA’s Colin Bennie (27:56) and Ben Blankenship (28:02) rounded out the top five men’s finishers.

(07/24/2023) Views: 1,028 ⚡AMP
by Glen Andrews

The women elite talent will be the strongest in the event’s history, at the 51st Wharf to Wharf race Sunday morning

The lineup of elite talent will be deep and the storylines numerous when runners of all ages and skill levels line up for the start of the 51st Wharf to Wharf race Sunday morning.

The excitement and anticipation will be palpable. For some, the goal is to complete the annual six-mile race to Capitola. Others will be costumed, poised to update their social media apps with colorful photos, full of smiling faces.

There will also be a more competitive bunch of runners who look to reach the Capitola Wharf in personal-record time, or post a top-100 finish in their gender division to claim elite Wharf to Wharf apparel.

And there will be a select few looking to take first, well ahead of the sea of runners, which has been capped at 15,000.

Among them is defending women’s champion Ednah Kurgat of Colorado Springs, who looks to again secure the Mayor’s Cup and $4,000 prize awarded to the winners.

Repeating as champ won’t be easy. “The women’s field is arguably the strongest in the event’s history,” said Dane Gradone, the event’s elite athlete coordinator. “It’s completely (awesome).”

Kurgat’s solid ’23 season includes a win at the USATF Cross Country Championships in January and a sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter race at the USATF Outdoor Championships earlier this month.

Everlyn Kemboi, the ’23 NCAA champion in the 10,000 and runner-up in the 5,000, should contend for supremacy. Also entered are Kenyan Mary Munanu, last year’s Wharf to Wharf runner-up, Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew, the runner-up at last year’s World Championships in the steeplechase, and fellow Ethiopians Tigist Ketema and Weynshet Ansa, both multiple-time national champions. Kenyan Sarah Naibei is a world-class runner on the roads, and a 52-minute 10 miler. Annamaria Kostarellis is a freshly minted NCAA All-American.

The local contingent is equally impressive. It includes former Santa Cruz High and Oregon State University standout Mari Friedman, the top female local finisher in ’22.

“I’m super excited,” Friedman said. “It’s one of my favorite races. It’s a holiday for me.”

Friedman’s goal? “To race happy and have fun,” she said, noting her best results come when she follows that plan.

Back in the field for the first time since 2014 is Nike runner Vanessa Fraser, a Scotts Valley High and Stanford University alumna. She’s coming off a 12th place finish in the 10,000 at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Fraser, who lives in San Francisco, is in the process of transitioning to more road races. She returns to the one that got it all started for her.

“I’m excited to mix it up and see how I can finish and be competitive,” said Fraser, who has qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Feb. 3. “Top 10, that’s a good goal. Anything higher would be great.”

Ashlyn Boothby, an incoming senior who has broken most of Fraser’s records at Scotts Valley, will compete in the race for the first time. She’ has been at camp with the Falcons in Truckee, doing altitude training and bonding with teammates.

“This is super special to be in the same race as Vanessa Fraser,” Boothby said. “She’s my idol. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with her.”

The men’s field is primed to produce another exhilarating finish.

Salinas’ Diego Estrada, an Alisal High alum and former Olympian in the 10,000, finished second in the ’22 Wharf to Wharf and expects himself to be in title contention again after upping his training. He finished in 27 minutes, 18 seconds last year, two seconds behind champion Emmanuel Bor.

“I’d like to break 27 (minutes),” said Estrada, who is running 90 miles a week. “If I lose and break 27, I’ll be really happy. And if I win and don’t break 27, I’ll be really happy. But there’s so much talent in our area, I don’t know what will happed til we get to the downhill.”

Estrada will be tracked closely by a fair share of challengers and hardened road running veterans.

Fellow Olympian Ben Blankenship, who currently lives and trains in Eugene, Oregon, is also in the field. So is established marathoner Colin Bennie of San Francisco, the top American at the Boston Marathon in 2021. He finished ninth in Capitola last year.

This year’s International contenders include a trio of experienced Kenyans, James Ngandu, Josphat Kipchirchir, and Shadrack Keter, who have all run nearly an hour in the half marathon and racked up numerous racing honors.

Aptos’ Jack Rose is back after finishing as the top local male finisher in ’22, but a handful of young collegians will be gunning to unseat him. Among them are former Scotts Valley star Jeremy Kain, who runs for Duke University; Julian Vargas, a St. Francis alum who runs for Xavier University; Aptos talent Trent Nosky, a recruited walk-on for Colorado State University’s cross country and track programs; and Patrick Goodrich, a former Scotts Valley standout who competes for Cal Poly-SLO’s club team.

Rose, winner of the Ventura Marathon in February in a PR time of 2:21:39, said the quality of his workouts have improved since he finished as top local last year. He excited to hear the bands stationed along the route and hear spectators shout support as he passes them.

Kain is hoping to unseat Rose as top local. He’s increased his miles from 40 a week to 65-70. “I do think I’m in pretty good shape right now,” he said.

Experience is key, and Kain is competing in the race for the first time. “I’m kinda ashamed of myself that it’s my first year,” he said. “It never worked in my training block, but, this year, getting out there and giving it my all is going to be exciting.”

(07/22/2023) Views: 978 ⚡AMP
by Jim Seimas

Wharf to Wharf elite field is strong and fast times are expected

The Wharf to Wharf race in California has a lot of history to it, some of which Flagstaff is tied to. In 2014, Ben Bruce became the last American male to finish in the top three of the six-mile race that starts at Santa Cruz Wharf and ends at Capitola Wharf. He recorded a third-place finish that year in 28:07.29. That same summer, Aliphine Tuliamuk, who now runs for NAZ Elite and has since become a United States citizen, finished third while running for Kenya, a country that has dominated the course over the years. Fast forward a year. A longtime Flagstaff running icon who moved from town in 2017, Nick Arciniaga crossed the finish line in 10th in 28:27.44. Then in 2017, former Northern Arizona Lumberjacks standout distance runner Diego Estrada took sixth at 27:47.81. Now, as the race enters its 46th year, NAZ Elite hopes to add to the history books as it sends Stephanie Bruce to compete on the women's side, and Scott Smith and Craig Lutz on the men's side. All three will face a stellar and challenging field. And the timing couldn't be much better for the team. "This made sense on the calendar," said NAZ Elite head coach Ben Rosario. Bruce, who placed fourth at Wharf to Wharf in 2013, is coming off her first-ever national title at the Peachtree Road Race USATF 10K Championships on the Fourth of July, and her body is feeling up to the task of taking on another race before breaking for the fall marathon season. She'll face an imposing field that consists of NYC Half-Marathon winner Buze Diriba of Ethiopia, 2015 Boston Marathon champion Caroline Rotich and Wharf to Wharf 2017 runner-up Monicah Ngige of Kenya, who finished behind only Diriba a year ago. (07/20/2018) Views: 1,995 ⚡AMP