“You might not want to run up there,” a boy called out to me. He seemed about ten years old, and he was hiking down the trail with his mother. “They’re just turning all the runners around.”

My eyes widened and my pulse quickened. “They’re turning the runners around?” I asked in disbelief and excitement. “Is there an aid station up there?” My mouth was parched, and I could taste the sweat on my face.

“No,” they replied.

“Do you have any water to spare?” I asked.

Earlier that morning, nineteen Pamakids gathered to participate in the Horseshoe Lake 30K at the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve in La Honda, California. We were greeted with stunning views of clouds blanketing the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, unfurling into a boundless white carpet. In the distance, Mt. Diablo stood majestically as the sun cast its golden light across the horizon. Laugher drifted through the crisp morning air as runners mingled with old friends and new acquaintances alike. The atmosphere felt relaxed and easygoing–a vibe that I’ve come to love and appreciate in the trail running scene.

With Pamakids comprising nearly a third of all 30K runners, our “green machine” was in full force at the starting line and even the race director made note of our infectious zeal! Our women’s team included Christina Vincent, Kat Powell, Orly Liba, Lidia Deleon, Archana More, Becky Margulies, Christine Velasquez, myself, and Nicole Gipp, who made her Pamakid debut at this race together with her 14-year old son Ziya, the only youth runner to complete the 30K(!). The men’s team consisted of Eric Mercier, Jerry Flanagan, David Moulton, Chilly Willy, Baldwyn Chieh, Sam Cooper, Adwait Samant and Oscar Osorio.

The 30K and half marathoners started the race together and the course followed a double out-and-back format. The first segment consisted of the half marathon distance on a mix of single track and fire roads, which took us meandering through open meadows, shaded valleys, and ridge vistas. There were occasional wildlife sightings including a mother duck crossing the trail with her ducklings, wild turkeys strutting on the hillside, and bunnies darting through the grass.

Upon returning to the starting area, half marathoners crossed the finish line while 30K runners embarked on a second out-and-back that climbed higher into the exposed and warm hills. While the total elevation gain was 2,760 feet across the 30K, the real test of endurance and grit came in this second segment, which packed  ~1,000 feet of elevation gain into the final few miles. By this point of the race, runners were so spread out that I couldn’t see anyone ahead or behind me for long stretches, and the solitude and heat made each step as much a mental challenge as a physical one. It felt as if the final turnaround would never arrive. To make matters worse, as a newbie to trail running, I had foolishly skipped the aid stations at miles 6 and 13, assuming there would be more later. There weren’t, and I was out of water.

Before the race, Eduardo had mentioned that the out-and-back course would help with motivation since we’d get to see teammates and other runners along the way. I couldn’t agree more. When I finally saw the lead runner emerge from a bend to head back in the direction we had come, it renewed my sense of hope that the turnaround did indeed exist, somewhere out there! Sure enough, one by one, I started spotting our wave of green-clad runners, which lifted my spirits like a phoenix and helped me pick up the pace – every word of encouragement and support we exchanged out there made a real difference. 

Fueled by Pamakid cheer (and a generous pour of water from a 10-year old hiker at mile 15), the final descent toward the finish line felt spectacular, and I was reminded of the words of Tim Danison:  “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. If you want to do both, GO GREEN!!!”

While I couldn’t stay long to soak in the afterparty, I returned home with the familiar glee of team spirit and camaraderie that these races always bring, a deep sense of accomplishment for having conquered my longest trail race, and even more admiration and respect for our ultra teammates than before.

“I’m done with long races,” I declared to my family that day. “A half marathon is as far as I care to run.” And yet, a few days later, I caught myself searching up local 50Ks. Perhaps a seed was planted.

I’m still working on what my elevator pitch is for Pamakid Runners, but if I had to pick 3 words to describe it, I’d go with: community, accepting, and energizing. How about you? What 3 words would you use to describe your Pamakid experience?

Race Highlights:

Several of our teammates had outstanding performances in this race. Full results can be found here. To highlight a few:

• Sam Cooper placed 6th overall among men and 3rd in his age group

• David Moulton placed 7th overall among men and 1st in his age group

• Eric Mercier placed 9th overall among men and 2nd in his age group

• Oscar Osorio placed 13th overall among men and 4th in his age group

• Jerry Flanagan placed 14th overall among men and 2nd in his age group

• Christina Vincent placed 3rd overall among women and 2nd in her age group

• Archana More placed 2nd in her age group

• Rebecca Margulies placed 3rd in her age group

• Ziya Tepedelenlioglu, the only youth participant to finish the 30K and first in his age group

Shout-outs and Appreciations:

• Eric Mercier – Race captain & corralled the crew for participation

• Orly Liba & Baldwyn Chieh – Shared intel ahead of time on what to expect from the course

• New members – Really enjoyed meeting and chatting with Sam, Archana, Nicole and Adwait before and after the race

• Nicole Gipp & her son Ziya who debuted with Pamakids at this race(!)

• Christine Velasquez – Volunteered at race registration and brought tasty Cronuts for the team

• David Moulton – Longest trail race on the books and hit it out of the park!

• Christina Vincent – Leader of the party van and full of smiles and glitter as always

• Shir Kochavi – Held down the fort at our tent as MUT captain and served as team photographer of the day

• Sam Cooper – Finished ahead of all of us and could be seen heading back up the hill for added mileage (30K was not long enough for him…)

• Chilly Willy – Best final kick ever! Sprinted through the finish line

• Trio of Jerry Flanagan, Oscar Osorio and Christina Vincent who ran together as a Pama-pack

• Lidia Deleon, Archana More and Becky Margulies – Best cheering and smiles ever on the out-and-backs

• Kat Powell – Amazing energy and the only woman in her age group to finish the 30K. Gave me a big hug on my way back down from the turnaround

• Jerry Flanagan – Bounced right back up after a fall to keep calm and carry on! Showed up at the finish line with a bloody knee.