I hope everyone had fun at last month’s Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon (see article on page 2). I think the relay mentality is a great way to celebrate a race with your running buddies. In fact, I’m getting ready for another relay next month around Lake Tahoe (10 miles each at elevation!).
However, this month’s featured race is a completely different experience. It is not conventional at all! It is the 11th Annual Hillsea, this Saturday, May 4th, in Huntington Beach Central Park.
The basis for this race stems from a long-running (over 70 years) Northern California, called the Dipsea. The Dipsea features hilly terrain, where the goal is not to follow a specific trail, but simply to get from A to B first (~7.8 miles). To make the race more “fair,” one’s start time is based upon one’s age and gender. Since certain time setbacks are in place, the winner of the race is the one who crosses the finish line first! The Dipsea takes place in Marin County and one of the most direct paths is on ~300 stairs on a trail.
The Hillsea is similar in its engineering but a bit limited by location. Instead of going the most direct route, from A to B, runners follow a flour/chalk trail on paths, cross country, streets, and stairs that crosses and turns back on itself. This is necessary because Huntington Beach Central Park is a bit less than 7.8 miles in size!
One year, as I headed along one arm of the course, 3 older ladies were traversing the narrow trail in the opposite direction. I thought, “Cool, I’m going to catch someone,” but I did not return to that part of the trail for about 15 minutes! It sounds confusing, but there are plenty of race marshals to keep you on the right track.
The race starts at 8am (though, unless you are female and 70, you will start a bit later!) on Saturday, May 4th, costs $21, and includes a colored T-shirt. Top ten finishers get hats, and age group winners get ribbons. See me for an entry form.