Los Angeles Marathon Results
By Aaron Castrejon
BroncoAthletics.com
LOS ANGELES - Daniel Rojas and Mark Batres, two former Cal Poly Pomona student-athletes on the cross country team, fought against the cold rain as they competed in the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 20.
Both runners had impressive performances along the 26.2 mile route, with Rojas placing ninth at 2:20:12 and Batres finishing 16th at 2:20:48.
For Rojas, this was his first Los Angeles Marathon.
"I'd been toying with the idea for years," said Rojas, a 2005 graduate of CPP who earned a spot on the NCAA Division II All-American team in 2004. Rojas decided to run just 12 weeks before the race and it was a surprise to some.
"A lot of people didn't know I was running in it," he said. "My coach didn't know until two weeks before. When the marathon came around, I wasn't in shape."
Rojas then turned to good friend and fellow runner, Batres, for help.
"He came up to me, knowing that I had done a few marathons before," Batres said.
A 2007 Broncos' alum who captured All-American honors in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Batres also competed in the marathon the past three years.
Just six weeks before the date of this year's race, Rojas convinced Batres to toss compete once again.
Freezing rain and wind provided tricky conditions for the marathon. Cramping muscles made a difficult race that much more strenuous for the two CPP runners but they pushed through with the support of other former CPP athletes, running partners and family who cheered from the sidelines.
"It was a good support system with my family members and everybody," Batres said. "It kept me going."
Both athletes participate frequently in running clubs. Rojas runs with Nike Team Run L.A. while Batres trains with "Run With Us," a running club from the footwear and apparel store of the same name located in Pasadena.
Participants receive free footwear, free entries into races and the opportunity to train in the area's running scene.
"They were one of the best duos we've had," said Broncos' assistant cross-country and track and field coach Tony Reyes. "They had incredibly high competitive natures about themselves and I think the two of them were able to bring the best out in each other."
Outside of running, Rojas is working toward earning a master's degree in education at Long Beach State. Eventually, he would like to teach high school history or English. Batres serves as an assistant track and cross country coach at Nogales High School in La Puente.
With regards to his recent race, Batres is very satisfied with his performance.
"I only trained six weeks, so that's pretty good," he said. "Going out there and having a good race was awesome."
Rojas said he will run in next year's marathon with the goal of finishing in the top five but vowed to train well in advance next time.
As for Batres, he has his sights on the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. As a stepping stone to that goal, he will train to participate in the January 2012 Olympic track trials in Houston.
"I just want to get as much as I can out of running," he said.
