Race across Vincent Thomas Bridge spans the generations in San Pedro
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By David Rice, Correspondent
Richard Windishar, 88, may be a little tough on himself. The Manhattan Beach resident just finished running 5.3 miles back and forth across the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
“I wish I could run a little faster, but that is the best I could do,” said Windishar, who joined 4,000 runners who entered this year’s 10th Annual Conquer the Bridge Run on Monday in San Pedro.
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The octogenarian was also among the 3,431 entrants who finished the event, part of the military-steeped LA Fleet Week celebration.
“I’ve done this race since it first started,” he smiled. “I’m glad to finish.”
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Meanwhile, sisters Kristen Theobald, 7, and Kaylie Theobald, 9, only have eight decades or so to catch up with Windishar, but they demonstrated the same determination.
“It’s so cool to run on the bridge,” said Kaylie.
“Going up the bridge was hard, I felt like I was going to fly off,” added Kristen, “but downhill was easy.”
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The run saw familiar faces return to the Winner’s Circle.
Chris Foster, 35, who lives in San Pedro and coaches cross country and track for Peninsula High School, won the men’s division for the third consecutive year.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
“I live just a mile down the street, so this like my hometown race,” said Foster, the event’s first three-peater, who finished the course in 28:54.
“It never gets old,” he said. “I plan to be back next year, as long as my old bones can handle it.”
First-time participant David Cardona, 27, of Torrance, finished second to Foster at 29:27. “This was pretty cool run,” he said, “being able to get a good view of the bay and the harbor, seeing all the fleets out here and being able to honor them is great.”
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Lorena Garcia, 22, won the women’s division in a time of 34:51. She won the race back in 2012 when she was a student at San Pedro High.
“I was just going to run this race to run,” she said. “Then I heard people saying ‘You’re the first girl!’ and all the cheering kept me moving.”
After graduating from high school, Garcia ran cross country and track at Loyola Marymount University, graduating in 2017.
“Winning it this time is even more special because it’s LA Fleet Week,” she said. “I’ve already been out of college a year, but I guess I still had it in me.”
Race director Mike Hogue was please with the outcome, especially the hometown feeling of the bridge run.
“We have over 1,000 runners from San Pedro alone,” he said. “It has become an important event for the community.”