Following a nationwide trend, attendance in the annual Surf City Marathon & Half Marathon has ebbed by several thousand runners since it sold out at 21,000 a few years ago.
Still, the 17,000 folks expected to converge on Huntington Beach the first weekend of February for the 23rd annual event will consume plenty of hotel rooms and restaurant meals. And they often bring family members.
“The marathon is a good economic driver for us, taking place outside of summer months,” said Chris Cole, special events supervisor for Huntington Beach. “Shoulder-season events get the city bursting with activity again.”
Most of the runners come from outside of Orange County, Cole said: “Visitors shop, dine and stay in hotels.”
The three-day event kicks off at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, with a health and fitness expo that runs throughout the parking lot at 21291 Pacific Coast Highway.
Saturday features the Cowabunga Challenge, a one-mile timed fun run for all ages starting at 11 a.m. The $30 admission fee includes beer – for those 21 and over, of course.
Then the star event goes off Sunday, Feb. 3. The marathon, with an entry fee of $149, begins at 6:30 a.m.; the 5K Run and Walk, costing $45, starts at 7 a.m.; and the half-marathon, $139, at 7:45 a.m.
Meanwhile, a “Finish Line Festival” will be bustling from 6 a.m. to noon. Runners and those who came to cheer them on can belly up to the Sand Bar and dance to live music – and then leave in time for their Super Bowl parties.
The marathon guides runners along the beach, Central Park and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve wetlands.
“It’s unique because of our beautiful, flat coastline,” Cole said. “And it is good for people trying to beat their time because it does not have challenging inclines or rough terrain.”
While still going strong, the event has lost participants in recent years – as have other marathons.
“The marathon industry is no longer on an upward trajectory,” Cole noted. “There are more activities to choose from and people are exploring a variety of experiences.”
The drop is due to several factors, according to national surveys published by nonprofit Running USA.
For one thing, the study found, millennials tend to look for new experiences after running a marathon — unlike baby boomers, who are more likely to participate in the same events year after year.
Still, the Surf City Marathon attracts participants from about 40 states and 20 countries, Cole said.
“With so much to explore and do in Southern California,” he said, “it’s a destination run for both the runners and their families.”