City Council approves MOU with OC Marathon to bring 'Corona 5000' to Grand Boulevard in March 2026

The City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with OC Marathon LLC to host the Corona 5000, a 5-kilometer race planned for March 21, 2026, centered on the historic Grand Boulevard circle and the Civic Center lawn.

Community Services Director Donna Fincher described the event as part of the city’s strategic goal to expand large-scale recreation events and to celebrate Corona’s road-race history. OC Marathon race director Gary Kutcher and operations director Lisa Schulman outlined the organizer’s experience staging large events, volunteer and vendor plans, and participant recruitment. Kutcher described a one-loop course of Grand Boulevard starting and finishing at the historic Civic Center.

Lieutenant Gary Griffiths presented a traffic plan coordinated with police, fire and AMR. He said the entire circle would be closed by about 8 a.m. for pre-race setup, the race would start at roughly 8:30 a.m., and staff expect to open the circle in quadrants as runners clear sections; the first quadrant reopening was estimated near 9:15 a.m. Police and fire will staff the event and provide emergency access, and AMR/hospital coordination was underway. The organizers described parking adjacent to the venue (about 910 spaces near City Hall and Buena Vista and Orange Grove High School), park-and-ride options and a planned Uber/Lyft drop-off area.

Fincher said the city will host a post-race celebration on the Civic Center lawn and will engage businesses for booths and direct communications to residents well in advance. The council moved, seconded and voted to approve the MOU. No public speakers signed up for this item.