Council approves street closures for O.C. Marathon

COSTA MESA — The seventh annual O.C. Marathon will run through Costa Mesa in May, with the routes for the full and half marathons remaining the same as last year, but a new route added for the 5k run/walk.

The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday approved allowing more than a dozen partial and full street closures on May 1 from 6 a.m. to about 1 p.m., when the first and last of the marathon's runners will pass through.

More than 12,000 people are expected to participate in the day's events, with another 12,000 expected to look on, according to city officials.

The new route for the 5k run/walk starts at the Orange County fairgrounds and leads west on Merrimac Way, cuts into Orange Coast College and through the campus, back out on Merrimac, then returning to the fair.

The half marathon enters Costa Mesa from Newport Beach on Irvine Avenue, heading west on Del Mar Avenue, north on Santa Ana Boulevard and then west on Mesa Drive into the fairgrounds. The half marathon covers more than 13 miles.

The full marathon covers more than 26 miles and starts at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, cuts through Santa Ana and ends at the fairgrounds. Most of Bayside Drive in Newport Beach and Dover Drive will be closed, parts of Red Hill Avenue in Santa Ana and Merrimac Drive in Costa Mesa will also be closed.

For complete details on the race routes and street closures, go to http://www.ocmarathon.com.