May 7, 2015
For immediate release
Contact:
John Schumacher
SRA event offers runners a gentler race experience
The Sacramento Running Association’s effort to provide quality running events for local runners hits the trails on Saturday for the third annual Gold Rush 50k.
Instead of pounding the pavement during events like the California International Marathon, the Super Sunday Run or the Credit Union SACTOWN Five- and Ten-Mile Run, runners can enjoy the softer feel of trail running during the Gold Rush 50k.
The May 9 race begins at Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park in Pilot Hill and ends in historic Folsom. The scenic course, which follows gold-mining routes on mostly single-track trails through the Sierra foothills, features 2,383 feet of elevation gain and 3,101 feet of descent.
The race, put on by the Sacramento Running Association, begins at 6:30 a.m. The event features an eight-hour cutoff and nine well-stocked aid stations no more than 4.5 miles apart.
“The Sacramento Running Association is about supporting all kinds of runners and running, from children running their first 100-meter dash at our youth track meets to Pacific Association competitors chasing championships at the SACTOWN Run to international elites competing for a $50,000 prize purse at the California International Marathon,” Gold Rush 50k race director Eli Asch said.
“The Gold Rush 50k is the way the SRA supports the Sacramento area’s vibrant trail running community. Gold Rush provides veteran trail runners with the perfect venue for a scenic and supported long run as they prepare for a summer 100-miler. With nine aid stations and a net-downhill course as well as an emphasis on trail stewardship and safety, it’s also a perfect ‘Trails 101: Intro to Ultra’ for runners taking their racing off-road for the first time.”
For registration information, visit www.goldrush50k.org. The cost is $100.
With a field of 100 runners expected, Gold Rush contestants will collectively run 3,200 miles, approximately the distance from Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore. They’ll also burn about 320,000 calories combined, the same number of calories as 851 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or 478 In-N-Out Double Doubles (Animal Style).
An ultra party is scheduled for after the race, which finishes at 200 Wool Street near the amphitheater in historic Folsom.
“The Gold Rush 50k is happy to be partnering with the Fat Rabbit Public House for the post-race party,” Asch said. “This stalwart historic Folsom institution promises to host a celebration befitting Gold Rush finishers’ ultra-sized accomplishment.”
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
Other SRA events include the California International Marathon on Dec. 6, the Super Sunday Run on Feb. 7 and the recently concluded Credit Union SACTOWN Five- and Ten-Mile Run.