Raleigh, N.C. — More than 3,000 runners took off from the starting line of Raleigh's second annual City of Oaks Marathon and Half-Marathon Sunday morning.

The race began on North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus at 7 a.m.

Runners wound down Western Boulevard and Hillsborough Street into downtown, then came back through State's campus and on streets to Umstead State Park. Runners crossed the finish line of the course back on Centennial Campus by 2 p.m.

Race organizers said the course was designed to showcase highlights of Raleigh, including the new Fayetteville Street, State Capital building, Glenwood South, Meredith College, N.C. State's Bell Tower and Umstead.

Nearly 700 runners completed the full marathon, and more than 2,500 crossed the finish line for the half marathon.

The Triangle was represented well among the winners, with John Crews, 24, of Raleigh, taking first place in the full marathon with a time of 2:21:27. He was followed by Jackson Kipngetuny, 31, of Durham with a time of 2:26:54, according to the event's Web site.

Heather Davis, of Raleigh, was the female winner with a time of 3 hours and 2 minutes.

Joseph Ngetich, 23, of Kennesaw, Ga., won the half marathon with a time of 1:05:42.

This event paid out around $12,000 to winners of both races.

The course required numerous road closures, including eastbound lanes of Western and sections of Hillsborough.

The inaugural edition of the City of Oaks marathon in 2007 marked the first time a marathon was held in North Carolina's capital in five years. Organizers said they wanted to bring a prestigious running event, like those in other state capitals, to Raleigh.

Last year, more than 3,800 runners registered for the event, and over 3,100 managed to complete the full or half marathon.