Thousands Run to Celebrate Resilience at Rescheduled Rose Bowl Half Marathon and 5K in Pasadena on Sunday
PASADENA, CA – April 27, 2025 – From the “if at first you don’t succeed, keep plugging away” mantra, consider Inglewood’s Alejandra Santiago.
The first time Santiago ran the Rose Bowl Half Marathon, she finished third. The second time she lined up at the start, she placed second. So on a stunningly beautiful Sunday morning in Pasadena, Santiago tackled the race for the third time, and you can imagine what was going through her mind.
“I wanted to finish first,” Santiago said.
And so she did. On a day when nearly 10,000 entrants signed up for the ninth Rose Bowl Half Marathon and 5K, no woman was faster than Santiago at the 13.1-mile distance. She finished in 1:21:31, pulling away at the end to beat second-place finisher Alyssa Jonanik of Chicago by 45 seconds.
“When I saw Alyssa near the end I was like, ‘Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!’” Santiago said. “I was scrambling at the end.”
As for her progression from third to second to first, Santiago said, “It feels great.”
The race was originally scheduled for January but was rescheduled following devastating fires that struck Los Angeles, forcing more than 200,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 18,000 homes.
“January was rough for everyone,” Santiago said. “Regardless of where you lived, you got ash. That was a reminder of what was going on. I think it was great that the race was put on. I do hope that people remember to go back to Pasadena and Altadena and the Palisades to help out. The recovery’s going to go on for years.”
Irvine’s Tim Reed is accustomed to running longer distances, having completed a 50K and a 100K ultramarathon last year. He has also run the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon twice. On Sunday, the former Cal State Fullerton runner stepped down in distance, tackling his first half marathon.
His goal: break 1:10.
Reed almost accomplished it, winning the half marathon in 1:11:07, 32 seconds ahead of Michael Nakahara of Torrance. The win was especially meaningful for Reed, who became a father 6½ months ago. He was awakened by his daughter at midnight, 2 a.m., and 3 a.m. the night before the race.
“The 4 a.m. wake-up call was nothing for us,” Reed said.
Reed, who works for ASICS, said the company values work-life balance, which helps him juggle running and fatherhood. He noted that he was not pushed too hard during the race.
“It was me and the (lead) motorcycle guy the whole time,” Reed said. “It was motivating running away from people instead of having people right next to me.”
Running the race for the first time, Olivia Ruiz of San Marino won the women’s 5K in 20:18.
“It was so much fun,” Ruiz said. “Everyone is cheering each other on. It’s a nice, sunny day and everyone is here for the fire relief.”
Chandler Gorham of Los Angeles, who grew up in Orange County, works in downtown Los Angeles and ran club track at the University of Oregon, won the men’s 5K in 17:36, winning by a convincing 37 seconds.
“I think it’s particularly special (winning) this year with the race being postponed,” Gorham said. “This is a good chance for the city to come together, and it’s such a historic venue that means so much to the city and a lot to me.”
The 10th Rose Bowl Half Marathon and 5K will return to its January date next year, scheduled for Jan. 18, 2026. The race is organized by The McCourt Foundation (TMF), which strives to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world.
A limited number of presale entries for 2026 are available online now, offering runners the lowest price of the year. For complete results, photos and more, visit www.RoseBowlHalf.com.