David Jerome
Correspondent

Even couch potatoes have heard of our local Idyllwild 5k and 10k, but Nov. 6 saw the inauguration of a new event to test the fit and awe the sedentary, the San Jacinto 50k. That’s 34 miles.

Event organizers coined the tagline, “Come for the pain, stay for the beauty.” Most of us would get winded just reading the route: Cowbell Alley to the South Ridge Trail, then up to Tahquitz Peak, Saddle Junction to Wellman’s Divide and Mount San Jacinto. The trip back includes Deer Springs Trail (all the way to the highway and back), then the Pacific Crest Trail back to the beginning via Tahquitz, with a few loops along the way to make it interesting. The total gain of elevation: over 9,800 feet.

Races longer than the traditional marathon (a bit over 26 miles) are called ultra-marathons. These events now happen on every continent … including Antartica.

The high-country route also posed unique challenges to the organizers, a local group of trail runners headed by Alex Charmoz of Pine Cove. Usually aid station supplies (food, water, first aid) can be driven in by truck, but here it all had to be packed in the day before by some of the 30 volunteers who pitched in. The six aid stations required a total of 105 gallons of water.

Alex: “It was a big effort, so much support from town, emails out of the blue offering to help out as word spread. The day of the race, volunteers went up to the aid stations starting at 4 a.m. A lot of good support came from people we didn’t even ask, local businesses like Alpaca for coffee, Buen Cacao for chocolate, Idyllwild Organics handed out CBD samples. We will definitely do it again next year. We learned a lot about logistics, working with the national forest, state parks, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit.”

A network of “bail trails” allowed those unable to finish to get safely off the route. Of 40 runners starting, 26 finished. Fifteen runners were unable to finish before dark. The last runner to cross the finish line clocked in at 13-and-a-half hours.

The top time was Moraga native and present Mammoth Lakes resident Rod Farvard, at six hours, one minute. The top female time went to Brooke Rose of Riverside at nine hours, 35 minutes. Pine Cover Dan Maya of Nomad Ventures finished in third place at just under seven hours, 37 minutes.

Brooke describes her experience: “The San Jacinto 50k was such a special race. I moved to Riverside, California from Tennessee about two years ago and have been lucky enough to train some in the mountains around Idyllwild during that time. I was so excited when I saw that Alex was putting on the race because I love these mountains and this town so much. I cannot believe how well-organized the race was and it honestly seemed like Alex and his volunteers had been doing it for years.

“The aid stations were well-stocked and the race had such a friendly atmosphere. I think everyone in the ultra-running community is so stoked to be racing again after the pandemic and it just feels so good to share in the joy of running with this awesome community. Racers and hikers were cheering each other on the entire day.

“I had trained quite a bit for the event (with a big emphasis on climbing) I ended up having one of my best race days, thanks to great weather and awesome race support. The climbing seemed never-ending and this has to be one of the toughest 50ks in the U.S. But the views on this course are unbeatable and make the pain pretty bearable.

“And I absolutely love that the race involves summiting San Jacinto; how cool. This is my first ‘win’ at a race and I am super humbled by the whole experience. As always, the people made this race such a fun, memorable experience. I can’t wait to come back next year, either as a runner or a volunteer.”

Maya was the only local to enter this year. He writes: “This race has been highly anticipated by runners from every corner of California for a long time. The San Jacinto Mountain range’s demanding trails and stunning beauty make it a trail runner’s dream and give the mountain a certain degree of notoriety …

“Every runner who crossed the finish line had vastly different profiles of emotion. Some runners were hootin’ and hollerin’ as they crossed the finish, others nearly collapsed, and some even shed a tear when they finally crossed. It was really interesting to see how everyone reacted to the experience in their own way.

“There were some people who dropped out of the race before getting to the finish, and there were others who pushed on to the finish line even though they knew they wouldn’t make the official cutoff time for completion. Seeing those push through to the end as the night grew on was very inspiring as I thought about them being out there running all day starting in the dark and finishing in the dark.

“Looking back on it, I could see how strange it is for so many people to sign up for an event that is guaranteed to physically tear them apart, but after rejoicing with everyone at the finish line, I understood why we all did it. Running this course pushed us to a place that forced our characters to evolve. We had to dig really deep, and when you do that, you learn more about yourself in one day than you would in one year. Most importantly, we all did it together, and that sense of community was the best thing about this race. Rejoicing together was a reflection of one of the most positive aspects of human nature.

“I have no doubt this race will grow more popular in the years to come, as more and more runners take notice of its magic.”