by Eve Celia Rosenblum
Just three seconds separated the top three runners in the 8th Annual Chevron Manhattan Beach Mile on Sunday, July 20 at Live Oak Park. The race takes place along the same course, and just prior to the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix.
Arturs Medveds, of Latvia, took first place, with a time of four minutes, two seconds; followed by Evert Silva, of Fresno in four minutes, four seconds, and Billy Atkinson, of Redondo Beach, in four minutes six seconds.
Medveds represented Latvia in the World Cross Country Championships in 2022 and in the European championships from 2016 to 2023. Atkinson holds the Mira Costa High 5K Cross Country record and now runs at the University of Virginia.
The women’s mile was similarly close.
Alex Lomeli, a freshman member of the San Diego State University track team, placed first in four minutes, 41 seconds; followed by Calene Morris, of Torrance, in four minutes, fortythree seconds; and Sara Van Dyke, of Huntington Beach in four minutes, 45 seconds.
Mike Ward, owner of Village Runner, founded the race in 2018. In the first few years, the race attracted fewer than 100, mostly local runners. This year’s race attracted over 1,000 runners from around the world. ER
