The Sunset Through the Trees running series is one of my favorite annual outdoor events. This year’s version kicks off on Tuesday, July 28, with 4.3-mile and 2-mile runs on the Sacramento River bike path.
Runners in the series hit the dirt or pavement every Tuesday evening through Sept. 8, and at a special “moonlight” run across Shasta Dam on the last Saturday in August.
Why is Sunset Through the Trees special?
• It makes no apologies for the heat. These are early evening runs during mid- and late summer in Redding. Yes, it’s stinking hot. Drink extra water and deal with it.
• The majority of events are either entirely or partially off the pavement, and, except for the Shasta Dam event, no run involves a road. That makes sense to me, as there is no shortage of recreational pathways – dirt, gravel and paved – around here.
• The series rewards consistency. I was fortunate enough to finish third in old guy points last year, mostly because I showed up every week while some faster guys missed a race or two. In other words, it gives hope to us middle-of-the-packers.
• Scores of high school- and college-age runners participate. It’s always nice to see new blood in the sport, even if the darned kids run more than a minute a mile faster than I do.
• The weekly entry fee is two bucks.
The series started during the late 1990s, when Michelle Hannaford was cross country coach at Shasta College, according to current race director John Luaces. She wanted to get her team tuned up prior to the fall running season, so she organized a short series of races primarily on the college’s cross country trails. (Those trails are pretty neglected these days. What’s up with that?)
John took over the series about five years ago when Michelle Hannaford stepped down as cross country coach. A longtime fixture on the Redding running scene, John had already created Frosty Fun Runs, a series of wintertime events when the temperature is about 60 to 70 degrees cooler than at Sunset Through the Trees. He increased the number of races in the summertime series and chose new venues, primarily focused on trails.
“It’s kind of natural for me because I run all of the trails around here,” John said. “In the summertime, it doesn’t make sense to pound the pavement.”
The past few years have seen seven events on consecutive Tuesday evenings. This year, Luaces has added Moonlight Madness, a two-mile out-and-back run over Shasta Dam at 8 p.m. on August 29.
Each race in the series except Moonlight Madness has two distances. The short races, which range from 2 miles to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles), attract mostly young runners and folks who are just getting into the sport. The longer races range from 4 miles to 10K and award series points.
The points for each race are based on the distance and your time compared with the winner. For instance, the first race in the series last year was 4.5 miles, so the first place finisher in both and male and female divisions earned 4.5 points. Everyone else gets a percentage based on the winners’ times. Last year, men’s winner Nick Rebel finished in 23:20. Chuck MacDonald (an unbelievably fast runner old enough to be the Rebol’s grandfather) finished in 26:07. So, divide 23:20 by 26:07, and you get 0.893. Then multiply 4.5 by 0.893 and you get 4.019, which was MacDonald’s point take from that event.
Even though it is only a 2-miler, the Midnight Madness run will pay a total of 6 points, so be ready to put the pedal down. Your top 7 finishes of the eight events count toward the season-long championship. There are male and female open divisions for runners younger than 40. Those of us more seasoned compete in the 40-plus divisions. The top three in each of the four divisions wins gift certificates.
If the points business sounds too complicated, don’t worry. Just show and run. John has a computer program that figures it all out.
On the schedule this year are two events at Lake Redding Pavilion on the bike path, Lema Ranch, the hilly part of the rail trail along Keswick Reservoir, Oak Bottom Water Ditch Trail at Whiskeytown, Lake Shasta’s Bailey Cove Trail, and Shasta Dam. There will also be a race on McConnell Foundation property behind Mountain View School. John said he’ll probably use the infamous cross country course designed by Redding ultramarathon stud Mark Swanson that involves lots of twists and turns, very narrow, rocky trails, wicked climbs and steep descents. I love that course, but it’s not for everyone.
The July and August races start at 7 p.m. each Tuesday, while the September races begin at 6:30. Registration begins roughly 45 minutes to an hour before each race and, as I said, costs $2. For that you get a well-marked course, a time, an aide station on longer courses, and post-race treats like Otter Pops and sports bars. The Midnight Madness race costs $10 to $25, depending on how old you are, when you sign up and whether you want a T-shirt.
Want to know more? Head to the event website, midniteracing.net.
Paul Shigley maintains a huge collection of dead running shoes at his home in Centerville. You may reach him at paulshigley@sbcglobal.net.
