For the first time in what seems like a very long time, this weekend’s 52nd running of the Wharf to Wharf Race is back to its normal capacity limit.
The six-mile race from the Santa Cruz to Capitola wharves will feature 16,000 participants after it was conservatively kept at 15,000 for the past two years.
Wharf to Wharf Race Director Scott McConville said larger crowds are making an industry-wide return across the United States.
“All the running events are coming back,” he said. “We’re feeling a part of that and there’s a lot of buzz right now in the community about the event, you can feel it.”
Runners are scheduled to arrive 7:30am on July 28 at the starting line in front of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and finish near the entrance of Capitola Village on Stockton Drive.
An awards ceremony will take place at Esplanade Park on Monterey Avenue at 10:15am.
McConville mentioned how it’s been somewhat of a roller coaster as some still struggled to attend live public events. Especially the first year after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.
“We’re kind of in that spot now where people are finally ready for it again,” McConville said.
One person who won’t be ready to return is defending Wharf to Wharf champion and Salinas native Diego Estrada. He’s sitting out due to an injury, which means a new champion will be crowned come Sunday morning.
Making his return is Kenyan Shadrack Keter, who placed third behind Josphay Kipchirchir in second and champion Estrada in last year’s race.
The top Americans are Reid Buchanan, who has the fastest 10k finish of all the Americans in 27 minutes, 52 seconds, and Sidney Gidabuday with the fastest finish in the 5k in 13:22.
“Between those two [Buchanan and Gidabuday], those are probably the most competitive over six miles,” Wharf to Wharf race organizer Scott Smith said.
Noah Droddy (USA) ran a great marathon in 2 hours, 9 minutes, while Matt Baxter (New Zealand) is a two time national champion and has a personal best of 28:10 in a 10K.
Smith said he anticipates a deep race up front since the East African presence isn’t as strong as it has been in the past.
“I don’t foresee someone just taking off,” Smith said.
Others on the elite list include Aidan Reed (USA), Patrick Smyth (USA), Ali Abdilmana (Ethiopia), Evert Silva (USA), Bradely Makuvire (Zimbabwe) and Zac Hine (USA).
Most of the elite field recently set personal records in 10k races and are all within 20-30 seconds of each other.
“It’s really a toss up of who’s going to be up there,” Smith said. “It’s probably a matter of who’s the fittest right now.”
St. Francis High alum Julian Vargas, 20, is aiming to defend his top local male title. Chasing him will be Jack Rose—an Aptos High alum and top local in 2022.
Vargas put together an impressive track season at Hartnell College, while Rose, 27, had a top 50 finish in the Boston Marathon.
“That’s a nice little match up there of the past two top locals,” Wharf to Wharf race organizer Dayne Gradone said.
The 2023 defending women’s champion Tigist Ketema along with Sarah Naibei and Werkuha Getachew, who placed second and third, respectively, will not return to Santa Cruz this year.
Americans Everlyn Kemboi and Dom Scott are now the favorites to cross the finish line first.
Kemboi was the 2023 NCAA 10K champion, and Scott is a two time Oympian with South Africa and two time national champion.
Another name to watch for is Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon winner Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia.
The rest of the elite field features Bontu Edao Rebitu (Bahrain), Kayley Delay (USA), Katie Izzo (USA), Paige Wood (USA), Alice Wright (Great Britain), Clare O’Brien (Australia) and Grace Barnett (USA).
Scotts Valley alum and Nike runner Vanessa Fraser was the top local female in 2023, but it looks like she’s not returning either.
Instead, it’ll be Scotts Valley graduate Ashlyn Boothby, who finished one second behind Fraser, looking to take home top honors in 2024.
Boothby, a former Falcons star runner and Stanford University commit, will attempt to outpace other locals such as Aptos High alum and former Chico State standout Amy Schnitgger.
Santa Cruz High alum and former Oregon State standout Mari Friedman—the 2022 top local—is also set to make her return.
McConville said this is a special time of the year when the entire community bands together, which has always been a neat part for him about the Wharf to Wharf race.
“We only have a couple of us here in the office working on the event, and the rest of it is really just the community that comes together and everybody has their own little part,” he said. “They all have their little piece of the event that they take pride in and execute on.”
