Welcome to Mendocino County’s First Ultra Marathon!
If you’re reading this you probably know that the world of ultramarathons is growing by the minute, but I’m very new to it. I ran my first marathon at 45, another that same year (2014) and thought, what’s next? From various podcasts and articles I came across ultra marathons and thought I’d give one a try. I trained and completed the American River 50 miler and, as part of my training for it, completed the Way Too Cool 50K a month prior to the race.
During the training for my ultra I was hitting primarily trails and through the process discovered incredibly beautiful terrain very close to my home—the California’s Mendocino Coast. While on a run in early 2015, the idea of directing an ultra on the coast hit me like a bolt of lightning and off I went. The first person I contacted was my colleague, Rick Hemmings who manages the Stanford Inn’s Catch A Canoe and Bicycles Too! Rick is one of the most knowledgeable people about local trails, and literally within a matter of days had mapped out an incredible 50K course.
Since then I’ve been learning as I go—permits/insurance/volunteers/aid stations/sponsors–and it hasn’t been easy. But every moment of feeling overwhelmed by the process has been met with the reminder that this course is breathtaking and will be an amazing experience for every participant. I’m super excited to bring this type of event to my county for the first time ever, and hope you’ll join me! Sign up and run!
