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Korean American woman finds victory at Long Beach marathon

October 15, 2014
Kathy Joo won the females age 60-64 category at the Long Beach Marathon Sunday.

Kathy Joo won the females age 60-64 category at the Long Beach Marathon Sunday.

A Korean American skin cancer survivor from Anaheim won the full marathon in the females age 60-64 category at the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon Sunday.

Kathy Joo, 60, won the category with a time of 3:58:40. She will go on to the Boston Marathon in 2016.

Joo, who started marathon running in 2012, said it was her first time participating in a full marathon. She said she spent three months preparing for the Long Beach event, waking up at 5 a.m. three days a week to train.

Diagnosed in 2008 with malignant melanoma on the soles of her feet, Joo started exercising and running after overcoming the cancer.

She ran as a member of Dong Dal Mo, a Korean marathon club that regularly participates in the Long Beach Marathon.

Joo currently heads a choir as a mezzo-soprano. She previously conducted the Arirang Choir.