OAKLAND — Running a marathon through Oakland mirrors the journey of Theresa Rush Woo’s life.
Born and raised in the city, she has always lived in Alameda County and has spent about 25 nonconsecutive years living in Oakland. She has worked, run, studied, played, ate, shopped, cooked, taken public transit and worshipped in the city.
“So, when I run the marathon in the Oakland Running Festival, I run past many of the landmarks that have touched my life,” she said.
The Oakland woman will start the 26.2-mile race near the Elihu Harris State Building, where she has been a rehabilitation supervisor for the State of California Department of Rehabilitation for the past decade. She will trek past Providence Hospital, which is now Summit Medical Center, where she was born 49 years ago, and into Rockridge, where she shops and takes BART.
She will run by both Lake Temescal and Lake Merritt, where she does training runs with her husband and members of the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders, and through hilly Montclair, where her family shopped when she was a youngster.
More than 7,300 people will take part in the marathon, half-marathon, relay race, twilight 5K and kids fun run this weekend, with about 1,300 tackling the marathon.
This will be Rush Woo’s seventh marathon and the second time running the Oakland Marathon. She’s finished marathons in Big Sur, Las Vegas, Baltimore and San Francisco, as well as last year’s Oakland Marathon.
“The crowd support (in Oakland) is the best I’ve ever seen,” she said.
She will see crowds for sure, but also many landmarks of her life.
She will trek past the Mormon Temple on Lincoln Avenue, about a mile from where she lived during elementary, middle and high school, and a street that runners say is lined with spectators offering fruit, water, candy and good cheer.
In the Dimond district is her late grandmother’s home and St. Jarlath’s Church, where Rush Woo and her grandmother attended services.
“I spent a lot of time (at her house). She spoiled me rotten,” she said. The two went to church, gardened, cooked and “watched a lot of Lawrence Welk” together, she added.
When she runs down Lincoln, she said she will remember her grandmother, Amalia Williams, who died in the late 1970s at the age of 84.
Lincoln Avenue is a hot spot with runners because residents last year handed out Ghirardelli chocolate, oranges, water and crackers. Rush Woo said she also expects to enjoy the run on International Boulevard because the smells of the authentic Mexican food will keep her pushing toward the finish line and a post-race meal.
Race organizers, who are already planning to return in 2012, said they know that the race is special to many Oakland residents. It’s something good for a city that often is only recognized for bad news.
“What we witnessed and heard from our runners about this event last year was this town has a unique vibe to it,” said Dave Gell, spokesman for the Oakland Running Festival. “From all the different neighborhoods, races, religions, passionate sports fans, cheering squads and amazing sights along our course, we feel this event’s reputation will take care of 90 percent of our marketing for the Oakland Running Festival in the future. Now it’s (race organizer) Corrigan Sports’ job to add ‘sole’ to the city’s vibe.”
Rush Woo will run past Laney College, where she studied Mandarin Chinese. She is married to Stephen Woo, who is from Taiwan, and after the classes she said she can follow some of his family’s conversations.
About mile 18, she’ll be near the water in the area of Jack London Square, a favorite place to run and eat dinner with friends and family.
Then there will be fire.
At mile 19, The Crucible, an arts venue that offers arts classes, special events, ballets and operas featuring fire, will put out their flaming arch for runners to pass through. “That is really fun to do,” she said.
Jennifer Harrity, a marketing associate at The Crucible and a marathon runner herself, will be out slapping “I Ran Through Fire Today” stickers on runners’ arms as they pass through the flaming arch.
“We recognize how hard it is to keep your morale up while you are racing, and we want to cheer folks on and help inspire them, keep the fire under their feet,” she said.
Around miles 23 and 24, Lake Merritt — a prime viewing spot — likely will draw the most spectators. As Rush Woo, who hopes to finish in under 4 hours and 30 minutes, approaches the finish line, she knows she’ll be tired and sore. But she also knows she will be filled with pride.
“It’s very much of an Oakland pride event.”
DETAILS: To sign up for events and to view the courses, go to www.oaklandmarathon.com.
