Trail Racing in the Bay Area for July 2015

July is the month of Lake Chabot & Big Basin. Both locations are having two races this month and I must say that if you've never run in Big Basin you just don't know what you're missing out on. Big miles are happening on the 11th and beautiful city views are on the 25th. Check it out!!!

• July 4th- Zoom Quarry Lakes- Half, 10k, 5k
• July 5th- Resevoir Dogs- 35k, Half Marathon, 10k, 5k
• July 11th- Dirty Dozen & Half Dozen-  -12 HOURS/6 HOURS
• July 11th- Golden Gate Trail Run- 50k, Marathon, 30k, Half Marathon, 5mi
• July 12th- Pacifica- 50k, 30k, 21k, 10k
• July 18th- Rancho Canada del Oro-  50k, 24 mi, 14 mi, 9 mi, 4.2 mi (Date not confirmed)
• July 18th- Table Rock- 27k, 10k
• July 19th SPASM Chabot Trail Run- 50k, Marathon, 30k, Half Marathon, 5mi
• July 25th- BAD BASS- Half Marathon, 10k, 5k- Lake Chabot- Read my review from 2014
• July 25th- Angel Island 12k & 25k- Tiburon Ferry Dock to Angel Island State Park
• July 25th- Berry Creek Falls- 25k, 15k,10k
• July 26th- Big Basin- 50k, Marathon, 

I'm making a come back and you're coming with me!

I've had a long lay off lately. That tends to happen from time to time when work and family get hectic for me. I thinkI have a handle on things now so I'm officially announcing my comeback and I'm looking for those of you who also want to get back on track. I got $10 bucks off for the first 10 people who want to race the Tick Trail Blaze with me in August. Doesn't matter if you want the 5k or the Half, the discount will apply. I'm feeling way out of shape so I'm going for the 10k and I'm aiming for sub 1 hour. At Huddart Park thats a pretty good goal! This race also includes a 'treasure hunt' that gives all runners a chance to win a ton of cool prizes (free race entries, Sasquatch Racing hoodies, a YEAR'S WORTH OF KETTLE CHIPS!!!, and more).Here's the details of the race and that discount code.

Who's going to win the 2014 TNF 50 in San Francisco this weekend?

The Bay Area is loaded full of running talent and there is no bigger race that displays it quite as thoroughly as the North Face Endurance Challenge Championship 50 mile race. My predictions for the men's and women's podium is loaded with locals and then there are 7 other runners from the Bay Area that could easily take a podium. Take a look at the lists below and let me know who you think is going to take top honors this year. If I missed mentioning a local, please feel free to give them a shout out in the comments.

Honey Badger Half Marathon this weekendat China Camp State Park

A FB post from Matt Forsman, Race Director for Sasquatch Racing:

We're a mere FOUR days away from blazing the trails at China Camp State Park at San Rafael with Honey Badger! Have you signed up yet? If not, do so soon......we're perilously close to capacity for the race!

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/honey-badger-half-marathon10k5k-2014-registration-9422433753

Bib Pickup for the Bobcat Blitz coming to A Runner's Mind store near you.

I just got this email that I thought I would pass along in case you did not recieve this.

We're just under two weeks away from the Bobcat Blitz 5K/10K/Half at Huddart Park in Woodside!

Just a heads up that you can collect your bib/shirt in advance via the two bib/shirt pickup events we are hosting. Here are the details....

-Sat, 7/26 from 10AM-2PM @ A Runner's Mind (3575 Sacramento Street) in San Francisco

-Fri, 8/1 from 5PM-8PM @ A Runner's Mind (1199 Howard Street)

YES, you can also pick your shirt/bib up on race day between 7:30AM-9AM.

BUT, if you are one of the first 30 to show up to one of the aforementioned bib/shirt pickup events, you'll score a limited edition bottle of the delicious, ginger infused 'Bobcat Bite Brew'!

BTW, it's not too late for folks to jump on board the Blitz! We still have room in the race for a few more runners. Feel free to pass the word along to your friends, family, colleagues, etc.

Join the Bobcat Blitz 5K/10K/Half on Sun, 8/3!

Cheers!

-Sasquatch Racing

Sasquatch Racing: The Bay Areas newest race event organizer is coming to Huddart Park.

Register Here

Sasquatch Racing, founded by Matt Forsman and Charles Lantz is the Bay Area's newest trail racing event organizer and they are coming to Huddart Park in Woodside on August 3rd with the Bobcat Blitz. I'm getting pumped to run this race because over the years I have run races in Huddart Park with Pacific Coast Trail Runs, Inside Trail Racing, Nor Cal, Envirosports, Coastal Trail Runs and probably a few others I'm forgetting. Everyone and their cousin puts on a race at Huddart because its a beautiful park with plenty of parking, playgrounds and picnic tables. Each company offers the 5k, 10k and Half distance and they all use a similar but slightly different route to get it done. The 13.1 that I will be running is most similar to Inside Trail Racings course with the only difference coming at the very end of the race.

My journey to and through the Lynch Canyon Trail Run 2014.

Me finishing the Lynch Canyon Half in 2013 

My review of the race last year described the course in pretty good detail so this year I thought I would spend more time on the journey and less on the course detail in my reviewing of the 2014 event.

I was a bit worried coming into this race. I had written a few articles about how I was aiming to beat last years 2:16:00 but I wasn't sure I could really pull it off. I had taken a lot of time off from running through the winter and had only picked it back up in February. I started back by concentrating on the half marathon distance because training for the longer stuff takes more time then I have to give.

Wildcat Half Marathon 2014 race review

 Looking back on last Saturday's race the one thought that dominates my recollection of this race is just how wrong I was about the level of difficulty this race represented. That seems to be happening a lot lately??? This course has 3 distinct climbs that are not to be taken lightly. Even though the elevation chart says 2200’ of gain, which is (for me) on the lower side of most trail half’s that I run, I soon realized that these climbs were really steep and long lasting.

July trail races in the Bay Area

 We are blessed again to have quite a few trail events to choose from in the month of July. Not as many as in June but that was almost too many to choose from! Sunday the 7th and Sunday the 28th do not have any events as far as I can see but every other weekend day does. Especially the 6th, 13th & 20th. Take a look at the upcoming races for the month of July and get registered before they sell out.

Upcoming trail races in the Bay Area for the weekend of 4/27 & 4/28



This weekend the vast majority of runners will probably be running the Big Sur Marathon. That road race is a major event that draws people from all over to run it. The Leona Divide ultra is taking place down south as well so that's going to draw the runners away from the Bay Area too. For those reasons I thought we wouldn't really have a lot of trail races to choose from but we do! Four great races are spread all over the Bay Area and every distance from 1.5mi to 50mi is available this weekend including the odd 18.8 mile race in Los Gatos. So, if by chance you aren't running one of the big name races, come on out and get a little dirt under your feet at one of these local races.

 

Upcoming races for the weekend of 2/23 & 2/24



The weather has been nice lately and I've been able to get out on the trails a lot more lately. I think I'm getting a touch of spring fever with this lucky streak of great weather. I find myself getting excited about my upcoming trail races and then I start researching what races are coming up for this article and I get even more excited because great races are poppin up more and more as we cruise through the end of our winter. Three excellent choices for the weekend of 2/23 & 2/24 are coming up and between the three you have every distance choice from 5 mile to 50k and every ability level from the novice Vasona Lake 5 mile to the experienced Montara 50k.