The 2025 Modesto Marathon isn’t just about running—it’s about celebrating everything that makes Modesto unique. Whether you’re a local or visiting for race weekend, there’s no better time to immerse yourself in the community, support small businesses, and explore all the city’s unique experiences.

One of the best ways to make the most of your time in Modesto is by keeping things local. From grabbing a pre-race meal to relaxing after the big run, choosing locally-owned spots helps strengthen the community and keeps the city’s character alive. It’s also a great way to connect with fellow runners, residents, and the people who make Modesto a welcoming place.

Race weekend is the perfect opportunity to slow down and take it all in. Whether you’re fueling up, celebrating your achievement, or just exploring, staying local means getting an authentic experience while directly supporting the heart of Modesto, so while you’re here, choose to shop, dine, and unwind in ways that give back to the community. You’ll be glad you did!

Check out these local places race weekend in Modesto:

• Graffiti USA Museum
• Fleet Feet Modesto
• Queen Bean Coffee House
• Intrinsic Elements
• Modesto Children’s Museum
• Twin Rivers Saloon
• Modesto View
• Modesto Arts Movement
• 108 Sports Lounge
• Order Bakeshop
• Bottoms Up Espresso
• Dying Art Tattoo
• Mira Bridal Couture
• Oak Valley Community Bank
• Burnside Body Shop
• Sierra Pacific Warehouse Group

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Albertson, winner of the last in-person Modesto Marathon in 2019, was following a Modesto Police Department motorcycle officer during Sunday’s race when the officer took a wrong turn, following the 5K/10K course instead of the marathon route. The officer immediately noticed the error and led Albertson back on course, but not until after he ran approximately 400 extra meters. Albertson was far ahead of the pack at that point, so the error was most likely not noticed by other runners.

The MPD officer verified the events.

Albertson, 28, was initially disqualified for not following the correct course. However, the ShadowChase Running Club Board of Directors, which puts on the race, and Race Director Gabriela Guerrini reviewed the events and considered that no course-cutting or unfair advantage was gained by the altered route, so his win should be reinstated.

“In doing the research we found that this is still a legal verified time” according to the International Rules for Road Running, said Board Director Mike Araiza. USATF rules state that a runner may not shorten the course, but says nothing about going too far.

“We thought it was only fair to reinstate his amazing win,” said Guerrini.

Albertson’s winning time was a sizzling 2:12:08. He may be recognized by some runners as the leader of the first 20 miles of the 2021 Boston Marathon held in October before eventually finishing 10th. Albertson was using the Modesto Marathon as a tune-up for the upcoming Boston Marathon to be held April 18.

Albertson took Sunday’s marathon events in stride and wasn’t worried about getting bragging rights. “I felt really good on Sunday. I wanted to run a fast first half, which I did in 64:20. … I felt really comfortable and then I backed off in the latter miles.”
Then he showered and went home only to discover the DQ. “I just figured, you know, the course thing,” he said.

The new father of a 5-month-old said Modesto is a good course for anyone looking to run a fast time, but he initially hadn’t planned to even run Sunday. However, a friend who was running offered him room to stay in, and since his wife was going out of town, “it beat staying home and doing a long run by myself.”

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Pacer Tom has been running since 1976 and it wasn’t until he was running his 458th marathon  – yes that marathon number is correct – in 2018 when he noticed something wasn’t just right.  It was soon to be found out the culprit was a diagnosis of Stage 3 cancer.  Then the Stage 3 diagnosis quickly became a Stage 4 diagnosis on 7/30/2019.  

A Stage 4 diagnosis is not something to be taken lightly. It will change a person’s dreams and life choices. Pacer Tom decided instead of retiring from running that he would continue his running journey in a slightly different way. 

When he was diagnosed with cancer he was on a goal of completing his second round of a sub 4 hour marathon in all states.  Now after completing his 6th round of procedures/treatments on 12/23/21 he is still pacing and running races, but just not running those sub 4 hour marathons. Note that Pacer Tom

has 99 career sub 4 hour marathons and his goal is to some how to get healthy enough  and have a good running day to get his 100th  Sub 4 hour marathon.

All runners will face different challenges this weekend with each unique to everyone. Some might take you by surprise and others are to be expected. Fatigue might well play a factor while running the marathon. Maybe an unexpected portajohn stop along the way in any of the race distances. None of those are uncommon and are to be expected if you run enough races. 

Since his procedures and treatments Pacer Tom deals with a high level of bladder, bowel, and fatigue issues while running. 

Things that never were an issue before with running have now become a common issue while running. There is no pre-race meal before a race as food can’t be taken 12 hours before he runs. His stomach simply can’t handle it. Just one of the many differences from running before and after a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis.

While dealing with all the procedures and treatments since his cancer diagnosis he has completed 118 races. 89 marathons and even 3 Ultras equal 92 races completed of 26.22 or more since the Stage 4 diagnosis. 

He has run a marathon in 40 states since his Stage 4 diagnosis and has paced a marathon in 23 states since his Stage 4 diagnosis. He is also just two states away from his 6th time 50 state certified finish. 

While he can no longer run as fast as he used to be able to he is still getting to the starting line.

Then taking one step at a time to get to the finish line just like all the runners out there this race weekend. 

If you are currently dealing dealing with any stage of cancer or are a cancer survivor please say “hi” to Pacer Tom. Or if your looking for a sub 5 hour marathon then let the 5 hour pacers help you along the way. 

Remember cancer or whatever your obstacle is that it might tell you what you can’t do, but it doesn’t tell you what you can still do.  And remember you need to get to the starting line to get to the finish line.

Pacer Tom won’t let Stage 4 cancer define him. 

Congratulations to all of you runners challenging yourself by running a race this weekend.  They say that less than 1% of the population will ever ever run a marathon, so whether this is your first marathon or not, you are part of an amazing statistic.

Thanks!

Tom “Pacer Tom” Perri

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My name is Gabriela Guerrini and I am your new Modesto Marathon race director. I hope that you all have been able to stay well and continue to get outside to run or walk.

Taking over this race from Vickie, our previous race director, has been exciting but challenging, and quite the learning curve. To say 2020 has been the craziest year to take over a race is a major understatement! I have been part of this marathon for 9 years as Director of Volunteers and never did I think we would be dealing with so many changes for a marathon, mostly the first year I take over as race director.

As we have navigated through these uncertain times, we have had to make many tough decisions, and our latest one, is no different. We think it is in the best interest for our community to switch our 2021 Modesto Marathon to a virtual race. Making this decision was not easy, as most of 2020 decisions have been, but it now gives us the time to plan an amazing race with a super cool medal, shirt, and swag! You will have 8 days to run the race and upload your time and photos to our website. We will then have a few days of swag pick up (as long as we are allowed to) and will mail the rest. 

I am excited that we are able to continue with our local marathon to support our Teens Run Modesto Program. If you have not had a chance to get to know the program, please go check out their website (teensrunmodesto.org), it is truly a wonderful program that helps teens set goals, work towards achieving those goals, and accomplish them after 6 months of weekly training. The teens also have a chance to earn a college scholarship and become mentors themselves.

I hope that you will join us in continuing to support this amazing race so that by 2022 we can get back to our regularly scheduled race on Sunday, March 27^th, 2022 and continue our Teens Run Modesto program, that is so important for our teens, right here in Modesto.

Run Happy!

Gabriela Guerrini

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Cline said he signed up for the training group at the urging of friends in his Weight Watchers group, where he lost 50 pounds before he started running at the gym. Another 43 pounds later and he joined the training group and started running with the ShadowChase Running Club.

As a truck driver staying in shape is not always easy. Not only is the job of a relatively sedentary nature, but the pressures of finding regular work can also be stressful, leading to unhealthy habits. Also, as part of this job, the driver is responsible for ensuring that he is compliant with the ELD mandate solutions (https://www.lytx.com/en-us/fleet-management/dot-compliance/eld) that are required of him by his company, be cognizant of distractions while driving, and be very knowledgeable about the vehicle.

In addition, considering the frequency of accidents, operating a truck is a very risky job. Your capacity to work dictates your income, as it does in most occupations. Always plan for the worst-case scenario. The optimum situation is when a company’s insurance coverage covers truck drivers. On the other hand, while working alone, you must do in-depth research and hunt for websites that can offer a Top HGV insurance quote in minutes. Other than that, to pay the monthly insurance EMIs, steady work becomes even more crucial for self-employed truck drivers.

That being said, the transportation industry has come a long way in recent years to improve the hiring and recruitment process to ensure job security for qualified individuals. For example, the use of truck driver recruiting software and the development of a truck driver application form can ease the hiring process. Additionally, trucking companies can optimize their website in such a way that when a potential driver searches for driver jobs on the internet, it can show them the link to the application page of the trucking website to apply for the same. Say, someone is looking for truck driving jobs in Chicago, the websites of trucking companies in Chicago should show up on the first page of the list.

Consequently, while discussing the pressures of finding regular work as a truck driver, Cline went on to detail his weight loss journey.

“This is the first time since high school that I’ve been under 300 pounds,” said Cline. “I used to play football in high school but still didn’t pay attention to my weight.”

“I always wanted to run (the Modesto Marathon), just my weight has held me back.”

Cline, who drives a semi truck to Oakland daily, considers himself a “wrocker,” combining running and walking to achieve his mileage. “I’m not worried about my time,” he said. “I’m just worried about finishing.”

He tells others considering making the running commitment, “Start slow and be ready, believe in yourself and make it happen!”

The Modesto Marathon may be the perfect place for Cline, since it offers a flat course ideal for first-timers, as well as a generous 7-hour time limit. There’s plenty of swag this year too, such as a tech shirt, jacket and free photos on the course, perfect to capture the memories of a lifetime.

Cline advises that, “I make sure to always put myself first. No one else can lose my weight or run this race for me.” He said he is most proud of himself, not for losing the weight, but “I’m proud that I have the mindset of wanting to give back and encourage others who want to get healthy, that it’s not impossible and it can be done. I’m proof!”

The post Need some inspiration? He’s 115 pounds lighter! appeared first on Modesto Marathon.

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“I am responsible for recruiting up to 600 volunteers for the marathon and organizing them,” she explains, then adds, “Shameless plug: email me at volunteer@modestomarathon.com if you’d like to be part of our great event! “

That’s Gabi, always working the crowd, and usually with a smile and kind word. Perhaps that’s why she’s still such great friends with her ex-husband.

What?

Yep, they’re still so friendly with each other many people don’t even realize she was married to our ShadowChase Running Club President Thomas Lopes. The two were married for 10 years and have raised two children – Matthew and Madeline – together.

Guerrini joined ShadowChase about five years ago, beginning like many with the Modesto Marathon training group. “I ran my first half at the Modesto Marathon with my son Matthew.

“I joined because the year of the horrible storm – 2010?, 2011? — I helped my friend at the aid station in front of her house (mile 1.55). The excitement I felt seeing all the runners go by was addicting! I had to be part of the running community!”

She definitely jumped in with both feet running.

Besides helping with the marathon and a multitude of other ShadowChase activities, Guerrini serves on the board of the Dusty Bottoms Trail Runners as secretary.

“We put on a few races and fund-raise for the Center for Human services,” she said.

She’s also helping Modesto distance elite runner Jon Olsen put on his 24 hour race in February 2017. “This is super exciting,” she said. “It’s the first time I am helping a real celebrity!”

Guerrini says her motivation to volunteer grew from Modesto being put in a bad light. “A friend once said, ‘if you’re going to live here, try to make it better, not worse.’ I believe that Modesto is a great place for us to be and I want to help make it somewhere people are proud to live. And now that I am an empty nester, it is easier to wear many hats.”

A true Renaissance woman, Guerrini works as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at Modesto Junior College and Merced College. “For Merced, I work with migrant farmers, teaching out of a housing complex they live at during their season.” She’s also been a waitress and bartender for over 30 years. “I still get hired to do caterings and private bartending gigs,” she said. “At most parties you’ll find me at the bar mixing drinks for people.”

She’s also organizing a fund raiser between the Prospect Theater and DBTR for this Halloween!

We should add ultra runner to her long resume since she’s completed the Way Too Cool 50K race. “I can’t look back and say which race was my favorite,” she said. “There is something special about each of my races. If you know me, I am very social, and I love running with my friends anywhere!”

She also dabbles in tai chi since her partner of 11 years, Jim Hutson, “is really into tai chi and has travelled to Nice, France; Lapland, Finland; and every year goes to La Honda and Sandy Island, NH, for tai chi camps.”

So what could be left on this woman’s agenda?

“My future running goal is to heal my achilles, which has kept me from running since June. Very frustrating! Other goals: get my kids through college and live a happy and fulfilling life.

“I see myself in the future doing more of what I love — enjoying life with Jim, travelling and being active.”

If you know a ShadowChase Running Club volunteer you would like to see in the spotlight, please contact Karen Lozano at kthefunone@aol.com.

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Join the ShadowChase training program for the Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center Modesto Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k.

We have groups of all ages and paces. There is a place for everyone from walkers up to elite runners.

Training Group Information

Be sure to attend one of the informational meetings being held.

Dates

• Saturday September 10th 2016 at 2:30pm
• Monday September 12th 2016 at 6:30
• Monday October 10th 2016 at 6:30

Location

Village Conference Center
3700 McHenry Ave. , Modesto
On the back side of McHenry Village.

Training program is sponsored by ShadowChase Running Club, Surgical Artistry, and Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center

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“I am beyond excited for our new partnership with Sutter Health, Memorial Medical Center,” said Race Director Vickie Chu-Hermis. “We’re very fortunate to have found a partner that has a shared goal of encouraging healthy lifestyles with a focus on preventative health.

“It’s amazing when two not-for-profit companies can join together to help make our community, and beyond, a healthier place to live,” she said. “With Sutter Health’s commitment, it provides us a greater platform to transform lives on a larger scale.”

Daryn Kumar, CEO of Sutter Health’s Memorial Medical Center, was equally enthusiastic about the partnership.

“We are very proud of our association with the Modesto Marathon over the years and look forward to strengthening our relationship and building on the foundation that Surgical Artistry started,” he said.

Surgical Artistry’s Dr. Tammy Wu and Dr. Calvin Lee were the original marathon sponsors.

Kumar continued, “We have participated as sponsors for many years, but more importantly from a community involvement perspective. Every aspect of this event ties to things we value and promote: physical fitness, healthy living, teamwork, and community. Supporting the marathon and Teens Run Modesto fits perfectly with our mission to enhance the well-being of people in the communities we serve.”

Chu-Hermis praised the support of Surgical Artistry’s Drs. Wu and Lee. “They had faith in us from year one, before we had a proven track record. With their support, we have been able to provide over $414,000 of our total proceeds to our Teens Run Modesto program. For that, we are truly thankful.”

The ShadowChase Running Club of Modesto founded the Modesto Marathon seven years ago as a means to fund the TRM program in which valley students are challenged to experience the benefits of goal setting, character development, adult mentoring and improved physical health through a structured training program culminating in the running of the Modesto Marathon.

Since the program began, some 1,500 students have participated in the half and full marathons. Many students have credited the program with helping to turn their lives around and giving them new structure. Approximately $50,000 in scholarship money has been awarded to TRM students who have completed the program. Some students have said they had not considered college an option prior to participating in the running program.

This past year, a leadership program for junior and senior high school TRM students has been established.
In addition, ShadowChase sponsors a popular adult training program annually. The new program is set to begin next month. For more information, contact training@modestomarathon.com.

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The Surgical Artistry Modesto Marathon is just TWO DAYS AWAY!!! While you’re out on the course Sunday, let your loved ones know how you’re doing. Use this link and follow the directions for runner tracking:

Runner Tracking Link

There’s also an awesome Modesto Marathon app available in the App Store.

Awards booth

After you cross that finish line and you’re wondering if you’ve placed in your age group or if you’ve qualified for Boston, follow this link for results:

Results

Top three to place in their 5-year age groups — along with Athenas, Clydesdales and Masters — will receive visors. Be sure to pick them up at the Awards booth after you finish! We’ve added another youth division as well, so be sure to check the results!

BQ Shirts are back!

If you do qualify to run the coveted Boston Marathon, be sure to come claim your bragging rights at the Awards/BQ booth at the Finish Line Festival. You’ll have your choice of a shirt proclaiming “I BQ’d at the Modesto Marathon,” or a license plate frame.

Expo is Today, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Have you checked your information on our website to make sure it’s correct? If you’ve found any errors, please go to the Solutions Desk in the Registration area of the Expo on Saturday. The Golden Valley Health Centers Fitness Expo will be held at the Modesto Centre Plaza on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pick up your bib, shirt, arm sleeves and goody bag there, then head across the street to Fuzio Universal Bistro to collect your Celebration Red wine if you’re running the full, half or half relay. You MUST bring a valid ID to pick up your wine!

Don’t fold your bib!

Do not fold, bend or remove the chip on the back of your Valley First Credit Union bib! The bib ensures you will receive a correct time for your race! Also, wear the bib on the front of your shirt or shorts so that is can be plainly visible at all times. We need to know who’s on the course! Also, smile when you see photographers. Sutter Gould Medical Foundations has sponsored FREE photos by Captivating Photos for our runners. You’ll be able to pick up some prints at the Finish Line and download the rest from the comfort of your own home.

 Online registration is closed, but you can sign up in person

If you know someone who wants to sign up, registration will be open at the Expo. They can sign up online through midnight tonight and save a few dollars.

Half Marathon Relay

The half relay begins at 7 a.m., alongside the full and half marathoners. The first runner of the team should begin at the Start line. He/she will run the 7 miles to the exchange point on North Avenue, and the second runner will travel the rest of the half marathon course – 6.1 miles – to the Finish line. The second member of the team should find ample parking at North and Finney in the Sierra Vista School parking lot, and walk the short distance to the exchange point on North. THERE ARE NO SHUTTLES. Members must supply their own transportation.

Stay hydrated & fueled

On the course we’ll be serving Tri Berry and Lemon Lime flavored Nuun electrolyte drink as well as water. We will also have Chocolate Outrage, Tri Berry & Strawberry Banana (caffeine free) Gu gels and Re-Lyte Sport Caps. Please help us keep our area residents happy by throwing all garbage near the aid stations garbage cans where it may easily be retrieved!

And don’t forget to thank the volunteers who have given up their Sunday to help you achieve your goals!

Finish Line Festival

New this year: food trucks at the Finish Line Festival. They should nicely enhance our Michelob Ultra Beer Garden and Barefoot Wine garden in the finish area. Runners will receive one glass of beer and wine samples. Beer and wine spritzers will also be offered for sale, so bring some cash along with your valid ID. YOU MUST HAVE AN ID TO BE SERVED!

Live entertainment

Entertainment on the Main Stage will be The Lodge Pole Pickers from 8 to 11 a.m., followed by Triple D, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The course is open 7 hours, until 2 p.m. Don’t forget to visit the Fleet Feet Recovery Lounge to roll out those aches and pains, or stop by for a free massage.

Overall awards ceremony will take place at 8:45 a.m. for the 5K, 9 a.m. for the half marathon and relay, and 10 a.m. for the full marathon.

Official SAMM merchandise will be for sale at the Expo as well as the Finish Line.

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