Run Course
As many of you know the Santa Cruz area and particularly West Cliff Drive were severely impacted by the January through March storm in 2023. This created a significant impact to both run and bike courses in the area. The alternatives were 1) cancel the event or 2) create some new courses that would enable the event to be held this year.
We have been working very hard with the City of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Police Department to create some courses that are safe but will still deliver a great race experience for all athletes. Is it perfect? No but it's as close as we can get given the extent of damage in the area and continuing street closures and detours. West Cliff Drive is still closed for traffic and there are detours through neighborhoods that everyone is living with. There are portions that just cannot be accessed by vehicle or by foot.
Thankfully we are able to access West Cliff Drive as far as Columbia Street. This allows us to have a one loop 5K course and a two loop 10K run course. That means the originally planned 5K course will not have any significant changes but the 10K will. There are two links listed below with an animated diagram of each course.
Sprint Run Course - will be 3.05 miles. Runners will make a single loop of the course and then return to Depot Park. >>
International Course - will be 5.7 miles long. Runners will make a second loop at the Whale Tale in front of the National Marine Sanctuary Building and head back out for a second loop of the course.
Animated International Run Course
There will be an aid station placed for two stops on the Sprint Course and 4 stops on the International Course.
