Jul 31, 2008

Local briefs: San Francisco Marathon big draw for area runners

FROM DAILY NEWS DISPATCHES

The annual San Francisco Marathon will be run Sunday with a record 19,000 runners, including from the local area, participating in the main race, the half-marathons and the 5K race through the streets of the city and on the Golden Gate Bridge. The main event gets started at 5:30 a.m. Runners will start in waves based on projected finishing times. The top finishers are expected to finish around 7:50 a.m. at the start-finish line on the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building. An awards ceremony will follow in Justin Herman Plaza.

Also part of the festivities will be the RunSFM Expo and Seminar Series, which will free to the public. There will be more than 100 exhibitors at the event that runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at Pier 30/32 on the Embarcadero between Bryant and Brannan.

There will also be a wine tasting fundraiser Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pier 30/32 to support the San Francisco Youth Running Program called Youth Run4Fun. Bart Yasso of Runner's World Magazine, known as the "Mayor of Running," and ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes will speak about youth running and their running experiences.

CSM legend to be feted

A dinner in honor of legendary coach Tom Martinez will be held Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. at the San Mateo Elks Lodge, 229 W. 20th Avenue in San Mateo.

Martinez won well over 1,000 games during his career at College of San Mateo. In the mid-1980s, he coached year-round at the school as the head coach of the football, women's basketball and softball teams - a feat that may well be without precedent at the college level.

After stepping down as head football coach, Martinez continued to coach basketball and softball for many years with much success. He also made a national name for himself as a quarterbacks coach after one of his longtime pupils, Tom Brady, led the New England Patriots to multiple Super Bowl championships.

Tickets are $40. RSVP by Friday by contacting Deborah Laulusa at 650-574-6405 or llaulusa@smccd.edu, or Jeanne Stalker at 650-574-6495 or stalker@smccd.edu.

Friends of Martinez are establishing a scholarship in his name for CSM football, basketball and softball student-athletes. Donations can be made at the dinner or by contacting Laulusa or Stalker.



Renda, Diekroeger chosen

Third baseman Tony Renda of Serra High School in San Mateo and shortstop Kenny Diekroeger of Menlo School in Atherton will be part of the 22nd annual Area Code Baseball Games held Aug. 5-10 in Long Beach. The rosters are filled by invitation only and feature some of the best high school players in the nation playing for teams affiliated with major-league clubs. Renda and Diekroeger will represent the Milwaukee Brewers. Other big-league team affiliated with the games: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees.



Top Little Leaguers to play

Fans of Little League baseball can see some of the best 14-and-under teams teams in the nation this weekend at Baylands Athletic Center in Palo Alto.

The Palo Alto 14-year-old Babe Ruth League All-Stars will compete in the eight-team Pacific Southwest Regional. Other teams include clubs from Utah, Arizona, Nevada and Guam, as well as California teams from Torrance, San Beito-Hollister and Antioch. The first game is at 4 p.m. today. Palo Alto plays Torrance at 7:30 p.m. The event continues each day until Tuesday's championship game at 7:30 p.m.

The winner of the tournament is off to Quincy, Mass., for the Babe Ruth League 14-year-old All-Stars World Series Aug. 16-23.