Runners Revving for The Mt. Wilson Trail Race Saturday | Pasadena California, Hotels,CA Real Estate,Restaurants,City Guide… – Pasadena.com – Pasadena Now
The Mount Wilson Trail Race, which at over 100 years is now the second oldest trail race in California, will be held this Saturday, May 25. Each year, more than …
Image Courtesy Mount Wilson Trail Race website
The Mount Wilson Trail Race, which at over 100 years is now the second oldest trail race in California, will be held this Saturday, May 25.
Each year, more than 300 runners race 8.6 miles on a course that features an elevation gain of 2,100 feet in the famous trail that begins in Sierra Madre at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The night before the main race, a pasta feed dinner will be held in Kersting Court, a few blocks away from the Mount Wilson Trail Park. Families can come to enjoy the dinner, which has been traditionally catered by Mount Wilson Committee members.
The dinner traditionally includes an opportunity raffle and souvenirs for purchase. Runners may also register for both the Trail Race and the Kids’ Fun Run during this Friday night event.
Proceeds from the night are for the benefit of the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team which provides safety support on the trail the day of the race.
The day of the race, a Kids’ Art Show, a beer garden, vendor booths will be at Kersting Court, where hundreds of race enthusiasts will be cheering the runners on.
A Kids’ Fun Run will be held just after the start of the main race, for youth aged three to 13 years. The fun run, which is about a mile long, starts and finishes under the main race banner. All registered youth receive a free t-shirt.
The first Mt. Wilson Trail Race was held in 1908, when runners raced to Mount Wilson, rested for a half hour, and then raced back down. Joseph B. King of San Francisco was the winner of the first race, with a round trip time of 2:11:35.
The race, whose idea originated with Charles J. Fox, publisher of the Police Gazette, was held sporadically from the first year until the late 1940s and early 1950s when it was abandoned completely.
In the fall of 1965 the race was revived and since has become an annual Sierra Madre event. The current race course is 8.6 miles in length starting at Kersting Court to Orchard Camp and back.
The course has been changed by fires, earthquakes, and erosion and for this reason no official record is recognized.
Emergency support is stationed at strategic points along the course to give any necessary aid. Boy and Cub Scouts Troops provide water at the 2.3 mile marker and at the turnaround point. The race is organized by a volunteer committee based in Sierra Madre and is sponsored by local businesses and organizations.
For more information, visit www.mountwilsontrailrace.com.