Worker: He wanted to beat time

An Aliso Viejo man who died after collapsing near the OC Marathon finish line was trying to beat his time from last year’s 13.1-mile half marathon, a co-worker said Tuesday.

Geoffrey Jonathan Chao, 46, collapsed about 100 feet from the finish line at the Orange County Fair & Event Center about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Costa Mesa Fire Battalion Chief Scott Broussard said.

An ambulance stationed at the scene took Chao to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, where he was pronounced dead, Broussard said.

A passionate athlete with a competitive streak, Chao was trying to improve his time from last year’s race, said Shaun Robinson, general manager of the Costa Mesa Hilton, where Chao worked as director of events.

“He was very driven to compete with himself,” Robinson said, adding that Chao was well-liked among hotel guests and his co-workers.

“He was extremely positive and very, very creative,” Robinson said. “He also was very funny and had a great sense of humor.”

Chao is survived by his wife, Heather, and their three children: Ava, 10, Max, 5, and Eli, 3.

Employees at the Costa Mesa Hilton plan to set up a college fund for Chao’s children, Robinson said.

This is not the event’s first fatality. In 2007, a man died shortly after crossing the finish line. Larry Altneu, 45, of Anaheim died after completing the full 26.2-mile course.