The sun was shining at the Monterey Bay Half Marathon

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV)- Over 9,000 runners took to the streets of Monterey as the Monterey Bay Half Marathon took place on Sunday morning.

The race weekend consisted of a 3k and 5k race on Saturday in addition to the main event on Sunday.

Nico Montanez from Mammoth Lakes, Calif. won the men's half marathon with a time of 1:03:57.

Joyline Chemutai won her second straight Monterey Bay Half Marathon with a time of 1:10:21. It was 30 seconds faster than her triumph in 2022.

33-year-old Neely Gracey of Layfette, Colorado finished in second in the women's half marathon with a time of 1:12:21. Gracey will turn her sights to 2024 as she is trying to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The route took runners around the Monterey Peninsula starting near Fisherman's Wharf and out to Pacific Grove and back.

Josh Preister who is the race director for the Monterey Bay Half Marathon says the race continues to give back to the community because runners from around the world want to run on the Monterey Peninsula.

"From a nonprofit standpoint, we are able to provide grants in the range of $300,000 on an annual basis," Preister said.