Crist, Bagnell & Chamberlain Win Oakland Marathon

March 24, 2025

16th edition of Oakland Marathon presented Kaiser Permanente sets event record registrations and celebrates thousands crossing the finish line at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts Mistah F.A.B. & Friends electrify PLEZi Post Race Festival; 1,000 kids ran in the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente, raising ver $100,000 raised for Oakland students and the local community

OAKLAND, Calif. /ENDURAMCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Oakland Marathon presented by Kaiser Permanente celebrated record participation in its 16th edition which began on Monday with a week’s long Oakland Run Week highlighting the diversity of running culture in the East Bay. Witnessing another 20% year-over-year growth in registration, the Oakland Marathon culminated on Sunday with high fives, smiles and embraces as participants in the Marathon (26.2 Miles), Half Marathon (13.1 Miles), 10K (6.2 Miles) and 5K (3.1 Miles) crossed the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts Finish Line and then partied at the PLEZi Post Race Festival.

The 10,000-strong registrations included 1,000 in the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente on Saturday morning, tackling ¼ mile, ½ mile and 1 mile distances. During Sunday’s race, runners passed by Franklin Elementary School and Piedmont Avenue Elementary School, both of which have undergone schoolyard refurbishments through Eat. Learn. Play.’s efforts. Proceeds from the event have raised over $100,000 in 2025 alone to support and provide resources for Oakland students in partnership with Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.

On Sunday, another beautiful spring morning welcomed participants as they ran, walked and even danced their way through downtown Oakland, passing iconic landmarks such as Lake Merritt, Grand Lake Theater as well as the Bay Bridge for those completing 26.2 miles. In the Marathon, George Crist of Davis (Men), Sara Bagnell of San Francisco (Women) defended her title from 2024 and Madison Chamberlain of San Francisco (Non-binary+) won the Marathon, clocking 2 hours, 30 minutes, 02 seconds, 2:51:53 and 3:54:44, respectively.

Under Armour was the official apparel and footwear sponsor of the Oakland Marathon, providing race shirts, an on-site retail presence and a special discount code for participants. For the second time at the Oakland Marathon, Under Armour assembled a Flow Elite Team featuring 42 top local Bay Area runners who competed in the Men’s, Women’s and Non-Binary categories of the Marathon and Half Marathon, marking the seventh Flow Elite Team created for the brand, with the goal of celebrating local elite runners and providing them with a professional athlete experience. Bagnell and her fellow Flow Elite teammates took eleven of the eighteen podium winners in the Marathon and Half Marathon.

Eat. Learn. Play. CEO, Chris Helfrich kicked off the morning to welcome the Marathon and Half Marathon runners along with Dr. Chris Grimsrud, Assistant Physician in Chief at Kaiser Permanente. At the 10K & 5K starting lines, Dr. Jamal Rana from Kaiser Permanente along with Golden State Valykries President Jess Smith and General Manager, Ohemaa Nyanin as well as community legend Mistah FAB and Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor greeted the participants.

• The Half Marathon was won by Jay Thomson (Santa Cruz), Sierra Castaneda (San Francisco), and JL Odom (San Francisco) in 1:10:19, 1:19:22 and 1:29:58, respectively.
• The 10K winners were Tom Brookes* (Palo Alto), Amy Schanz (Sausalito), and Will Newman (Pennsylvania) in 31:06, 35:25, and 34:59, respectively.
• The 5K was won by Anthony Cortes (Petaluma), Catherine Edwards (San Francisco) and Llewellyn Jalbert (Oakland) in 15:48, 20:33 and 20:22, respectively.

* Denotes event record

Complete race results can be found at: https://oaklandmarathon.com/race-resources/results/

At the conclusion of their journey the community was invited to celebrate at the PLEZi Post Race Festival featuring Oakland legend Mistah F.A.B. and Friends, Jwalt, DJShellHeart and more. Participants also enjoyed local food and beverages, including a new Beer Garden featuring local brewery East Brothers. The Festival was free and open to the public with 20,000-plus participants, friends and family enjoying the morning thanks to PLEZi Nutrition, a new beverage company founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama.

“The Oakland running community continues to inspire, and we’re thrilled to welcome runners back for another incredible year,” said Run Local Ventures Managing Partner, J.T. Service. “Our home at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts remains the perfect stage to celebrate the resilience, energy, and spirit of Oakland. This event is about more than just running—it’s about community, culture, and making a positive impact. We’re grateful for the continued support of Eat. Learn. Play. and their dedication to Oakland’s youth, as well as the runners, volunteers, musicians, artists, sponsors, and city agencies who make race weekend unforgettable. Here’s to another amazing year on the streets of Oakland!”

The Oakland Marathon Health & Wellness Expo kicked off race weekend at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, including a special Under Armour Shakeout Run for the community at large.

FAST FACTS

• 16th Edition
• Oakland’s largest participatory endurance event
• 1,000 Kids in the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente. OUSD students were invited to participate for free.
• 10,000 registered runners across all events
• Over 20,000 participants, friends & family at the PLEZi Post Race Festival
• 42 local Bay Area elite runners expected to compete in the Marathon and Half Marathon representing Under Armour as the Flow Elite Team
• 1,000+ volunteers and staff
• 200+ participating with local youth club, Running for a Better Oakland
• 60+ person strong Marathon & Half Marathon Pace Team powered by On Pace and Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders
• Produced Locally, Enjoyed Globally.
  • 90%+ travel from within 100 miles of Oakland
  • 40 states and territories as well as 19 countries represented
• 49% Female, 49% Male, 2% Non-Binary+ / Prefer not to disclose across all events
• Youngest / Oldest
  • Youngest – 11 months old (Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run)
  • Oldest – 90 years 2 months (Half Marathon)
• 16 entertainment and cheer zones, including the Start & Finish at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts
• 13 Aid Stations, including the Start & Finish at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts

For more event information, go to oaklandmarathon.com or follow the event on social @oaklandmarathon.

About Run Local^®

Founded in 2012, Run Local’s mission is to inspire movement in your community^™. It has produced events in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California, including the Oakland Marathon (March), San Jose Half & 8K (June) and the Santa Barbara Half presented by HOKA & 5K (November). Each of its events celebrate the local running community, artists and the unique diversity of each region. For more information, visit runlocalevents.com and also join us on social @runlocalevents.

About Eat. Learn. Play.

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is an organization dedicated to unleashing the potential of every child, paving the way for amazing kids and opening doors to bright futures. Founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. launched with a focus on improving the lives of kids and families in Oakland, the Bay Area and across the country. Rooted in three of the most vital pillars for a healthy childhood—nutrition, education and physical activity—Eat. Learn. Play. is working to ensure that every child in Oakland has access to the nutritious food they need to be healthy and thrive; resources to learn and love to read; and safe places and equitable opportunities to play. Follow Eat. Learn. Play. on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

About Under Armour

Under Armour, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is a leading inventor, marketer, and distributor of branded athletic performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. Designed to empower human performance, Under Armour’s innovative products and experiences are engineered to make athletes better. For further information, please visit http://about.underarmour.com.

About Curry Brand

A partnership between Stephen Curry and Under Armour, Curry Brand is a purpose-led performance brand with a mission to ensure every young person has equitable access to sports, providing solutions that positively impact youth sports in under-resourced communities. It aims to provide youth with new apparel and equipment, access to mentors and coaches, and safe places to play. Curry Brand features footwear, apparel, and accessories across multiple categories, including basketball and golf. Learn more at currybrand.com.

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