Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, Mile put kids on course

by Emery Min 

Over 100 runners competed in the 9th Annual Manhattan Mile, held in conjunction with the 63rd annual Chevron Manhattan Grand Prix cycling races on Sunday, July 12, at Live Oak Park. 

Elite runners were joined by runners as young as seven, many paced by their parents. 

“Runners are pretty happy go lucky people, so it’s a very positive event,” Manhattan Mile race director Mike Ward said. 

The Manhattan Mile. which started at 7:30 a.m., was followed by a full day of professional and kids’ Manhattan Grand Prix races.

Calene Morris, who ran at Torrance High (Class of 2012), and Cal Poly Pomona (Class of 2017) won the women’s mile in 4:48, followed by Casey Monoszlay and Sara Van Dyke.

Eddie Ramos, of San Diego, took first in the men’s mile with a time of 4:22, followed by Presley Martin, of Indianapolis, and Jediel Nunes. 

Chevron presented $1,000 to the first place finishers, $750 to the second place finishers and $500 to the third place finishers.

Morris noted how races like the Manhattan Mile contribute to a “tight-knit community” of runners. Monoszlay said the most rewarding part of running is the friends she makes. Van Dyke met her husband through running. 

“People run the race year after year,” said Ward, who owns the Village Runner shoe stores in Manhattan and Riviera Village, and who also produces other races, including the Riviera Village Fourth of July 5K, the Torrance Turkey Trot and the Torrance Armed Forces Day 5K

“Events like these are really good for the community and society as a whole,” he said.

Ward added the Manhattan Mile to the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix in 2018. 

Jim Brown, riding for team L39ION, won the 90 minute Men’s Pro. Chloe Patrick, riding for Caldera Medical.Aurea, won the 55-minute Women’s Pro. The two were named the 2026 California State Criterium Champions. Criterium races feature mass starts on short, courses with sharp turns The Manhattan Grand Prix follows a 1.3 mile, circular course that starts hedging south on Valley Drive, in front of Live Oak Park, makes a tight turn on to Ardmore Drive and  goes north, and then circles back onto Valley Drive to finish at the starting line.

During a noon break between the professional races, kids two- to six-years-old raced tricycles and bicycles, and were pushed in strollers along a 60-yard straightway on Valley Drive. Cyclists 7- to 12-years- old raced along a 200 yard straight-away. The kids races are sponsored by Janelle Holden DDS., 

“Kids have fun participating in these running and bicycling events, and I think it puts them on a good path in life,” Ward said. “What’s cool is you don’t have to win to have success,” he said. ER