Independence Day was a day for sports of all sorts in Coronado, starting with a horde of gymsuited runners squeezing onto Glorietta Boulevard at 7 a.m. for the fourth annual Coronado Half-Marathon (top photo). Organizers of the 13-mile run say a record 1,900-plus persons trotted through Coronado streets in the event, up from 590 the year before. A sprint by Coronado Mayor Virginia Bridge opened the July 4 run. After officially starting the race with a pistol shot from the middle of the street. Mayor Bridge dashed lickety-split for the curb, reaching safety in the nick of time as thousands of sneakers pounded past. Another record for the day went to Thom Hunt, a University of Arizona student and graduate of San Diego’s Patrick Henry High School, who was clocked at 65:54.2 for the distance, clipping nearly 30 seconds off the Coronado Half-Marathon mark of 66:30 set last year by Phil Camp. This year, Camp finished third at 67:32. Laurie Pitt was the woman to finish with a time of 1:28:44.

Winners of 1977 race were Laurie Pitt and Thom Hunt