Canadian Running – September-October 2019

By Melissa Offner

S

hasta Cascade is a unique area of

northern California that offers runners

three Boston-qualifying races. Known for its

outdoor recreation (thanks to abundant pris-

tine lakes), majestic waterfalls and towering

mountains, this hidden Californian gem is

home to 20 per cent of the state’s landmass

but only three per cent of the state’s popu-

lation. Its picturesque trails and running

routes are what draw so many runners to the

area. Of the three Shasta Cascade qualifiers:

the Running with the Bears Marathon, the

Bizz Johnson Marathon and the Redding

Marathon, Redding is the fastest and the

most popular, drawing about 200 partici-

pants a year. In 2019, 50 runners broke the

four-hour mark and four runners finished in

under three hours.

Inaugurated in 2001, the 19th edition of

the Redding Marathon is set to take place

on January 19, 2020 and, according to race

director, Tori Parks, it’s one worth travelling

to. “ This marathon has views unlike any

other. Being that it is a point-to-point race,

we advertise it as Shasta Dam to the Sundial

Bridge,” she says. The race takes participants

across the Shasta Dam, the second largest

dam in the United States, and follows the

Sacramento River all the way to the finish

line at the glass-decked Sundial Bridge, the

world ’s largest, most costly working timepiece.

Runners at the Redding Marathon should

also keep an eye out for bald eagles, ospreys

and other wildlife along the scenic route.

Last July’s devastating carr fire which

burned 229,651 acres in Shasta Cascade,

damaged or destroyed some of the trails in

the area, forcing Parks and her team to reroute

the race and also go through the tedious

process of recertifying it as a BQ (Boston

qualifier). “ That said, the 2019 course was

well received and the change didn’t deter

runners from signing up,” Parks says. This

year, we will probably use the 2019 course,

as the original course section from mile 1 4 to

Shasta Cascade,

California:

Marathon Mecca

Adventure and perhaps a ticket to Boston await

in the state’s scenic northeast region

38 Canadian Running September & October 2019, Volume 12, Issue 6

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