Of the more than 24,000 runners competing in the recent Los Angeles Marathon, March 18, 11 Santa Monica Police Activities League (PAL) Youth were in the mix and all of them completed the 26.2 mile race from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica PAL Youth runners and medal recipients are Christopher Aguilar, 17, Jessye Bautista, 16, Katie Bravo, 16, Luis Buenrrostro, 14, Benjamin Castillo, 14, Jesse Del Rio, 15, Kim Hansen, 14, Justin Lee, 18, Daniela Medina, 17, Karen Morales, 15, and Zaahir Shorter, 17.
“Finishing the LA Marathon means to me that I overcome 26.2 miles. Also to finish it is what I have been training and committed my time so it is important,” said Jesse Del Rio.
“We are very proud of each one of the PAL runners that competed and completed the Los Angeles Marathon,” added Eula Fritz, Director at Santa Monica Police Activities League. “The kids were extremely dedicated in their training and spent many hours in preparation for the race. It takes determination, commitment and character to finish the race. These are some of the traits that we try to instill in our PAL kids daily.”
All PAL Programs are free and open to youth aged 6 to 17 living or attending school in Santa Monica. The PAL Youth Center is located at 1401 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404. For information, please visit smpal.org or call 310.458.8988.
Photo: Police Activities League
