Rose Bowl Half Marathon

April 27, 2025

Pasadena, CA

​The 2025 Rose Bowl Half Marathon and 5K took place on Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Pasadena, California, after being postponed from its original January date due to devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The event brought together nearly 10,000 participants, although I believe there were a lot of virtual runners. SRLA did not participate as well and they happen to make up a large part of the race. Was it me or did the race feel empty?

The parking lot area at the Rose Bowl every year is a disaster and there is usually so much traffic. This year, it seemed to be a breeze and I was in the lot before I knew it. My guess is the lack of SRLA not in attendance, which also brought the cars of more parents.

Regardless, it was great to be back racing in Pasadena. Colorado Blvd was on fire as usual with running clubs lining up the streets in support. Azusa Pacers, Whittier pacers, Blacklist, Running Mami's and Koreatown Run Club were so loud and energetic, they provided the true race day experience.

Half Marathon Winners

Women: Inglewood's Alejandra Santiago secured her first victory at the Rose Bowl Half Marathon with a time of 1:21:31. She pulled away in the final stretch to finish 45 seconds ahead of Chicago's Alyssa Jonanik. Very great to see a local runner winning the race

Men: Tim Reed of Irvine, a former Cal State Fullerton runner and ASICS employee, won the men's race in 1:11:07. Despite aiming to break 1:10, Reed's victory was notable as it was his first half marathon, and he managed the feat after a night of interrupted sleep caring for his infant daughter. At mile 7, he was coming back in the oppoiste direction on Green St. and there wasnt a runner in sight behind him, he clearly had an amazing race.

Runner's Thoughts

The race was fun and exciting, but due to its rescheduling after the LA fires, it took place after the Los Angeles Marathon for the first time. As a result, many runners opted to participate virtually or had prior commitments to other races. This led to a noticeably smaller field and a different overall energy—understandable given the circumstances. Still, I’m definitely looking forward to running it again next year when it returns to its usual January date and a precursor the much anticipated Los Angeles Marathon in March.