Litzenberg second at Catalina Marathon

356 runners competed in 40th annual marathon|

Glen Ellen long-distance runner John Litzenberg finished second out of 356 runners in the 40th annual Catalina Island Marathon on March 11.

The race was the 16th marathon Litzenberg has run, and he finished in a time of 3:04.07. It’s the oldest trail marathon in the U.S.

The race started at Two Harbors, on the western side of the island, and ended in the town of Avalon, on the other side of the island.

“It was an extremely beautiful course, but it was also by far the hilliest marathon I’ve ever run, with a 1,000-foot elevation climb in the first four miles and then a 1,600-foot elevation climb between miles eight and 21,” Litzenberg said. The climbs were mostly steep and the trails were often uneven which made it extra challenging.

“In addition to coaching the distance squad for the high school track team, I plan to spend the next month recovering from the marathon and prepping for road races this spring and summer,” he said.

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