35th Annual Beach to Bay Marathon Relay

Here's the story and stats from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times

CORPUS CHRISTI — More than half an inch of rain poured onto most of the 14,136 Beach to Bay Relay Marathon runners Saturday, but it didn't dampen their spirits.


One man ran in a pink wig, another wore one that was rainbow striped, and one team ran draped in green trash bags.

Perhaps most eye-catching was the Los Luchadores team, former classmates from five cities dressed in colorful wrestler masks and crime-fighter costumes.

"We wrestled with the rain," said Albert Garza, 41, as his teammates howled with laughter.

"The mask keeps the weather off my beautiful rosy cheeks," said Corey Burke, 37, an environmental investigator wearing a hand-sewn yellow and red mask, matching body suit, yellow cape and running shoes. "It was a good day to run with amigos."

Runners also battled wind, including gusts as much as 52 mph at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi during the relay's fourth leg, National Weather Service officials said.

"The wind had bay water slapping me in the face, too," said Mandi Alvarez, 23, who ran the final leg for Jack Ash's Drinkery team.

San Antonio teams won both the men's and women's divisions with Fleet Feet Sports Mambas men first across the Cole Park finish line in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 42 seconds. GMTC Divas won the women's race in 2 hours, 58 minutes, 7 seconds. The race started south of Bob Hall Pier on Padre Island.

Three people were taken to the hospital during the event, said Dr. Lonnie Schwirtlich, medical director for the relay. One runner collapsed with a seizure on the first leg. A boy ran into a utility pole, and a city parks department worker broke his arm in a fall.

The number of runners treated for heat injuries were a tenth the usual number, he said.

"This was ideal weather from our perspective," he said.

By the numbers

2,356 teams (389 more than 2009)

14,136 runners

3,000 volunteers

200 medical staff

3 people taken to hospital

30 police, from Corpus Christi Police Department and Nueces County constable offices

200 portable toilets

40,000 gallons of drinking water

6,000 pounds of ice

4,000 barbecue sandwiches

1 truck load of 2-liter Pepsi bottles

2,500 pizzas

80 kegs of beer

$400,000 cost

15 sponsors
Disbursement of $70,000 in proceeds
$10,000 track scholarship awarded for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi track program
$30,000 for volunteer youth groups that helped the event
$30,000 for area nonprofit organizations
Source: Beach to Bay organizers