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This September the Friends of Stevens Creek Trail celebrated the 28th running of the Trailblazer Race with 350 enthusiastic runners and walkers and over 120 volunteers. The 10K and 5K runs and a 3-mile walk started and finished on the grounds of Microsoft’s new Silicon Valley Campus, and as participants gathered near the starting line, they were obviously excited to come together on the trail after two years of virtual races. Participant Steve Chin ran with his wife and two children. They each settled into their own pace, and he said, “We all really enjoyed the race. Everything was well organized and the volunteers were super friendly. My wife mentioned that it seemed to be the perfect size for a race – large enough to feel active and vibrant while not being over-crowded.”
This year’s event attracted participants of all ages, from near and far. The youngest participant was 3 years old, and several were over 80 years old. Many runners and walkers were likely already familiar with the Stevens Creek Trail, as the cities of Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Los Altos were well represented. Long-time trail user Chin also noted, “It felt like I had the ‘home field advantage’. It also seemed natural to be a supporter of the Friends of the SCT, considering how much benefit I’d received from the trail.” The popular event drew from across the wider Bay Area, and a few runners came from as far away as Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas, and Nevada.
The Trailblazer Race also brought some blazingly fast runners. The overall winner of the 10K, Tipp Moseley, averaged less than 6 minutes per mile, while 5K winner Anthony Cortes set a pace of 5:17 per mile. While it is true that the race is known for its fast, flat course and predictably moderate temperature, these two came in well ahead of the pack this year.
An event as complicated as the Trailblazer Race cannot happen without months of planning and many helping hands. Board members and other volunteers arrange logistical details and solicit sponsorships throughout the summer. The weekend of the race, nearly a hundred members of the community give generously of their time. They rise early on the day of the race to direct traffic, register participants, hand out cups of water, and wave flags to keep everyone on course. When the race is over and runners have gone home to shower, there is much to clean up on site, and volunteers lighten the load.
First-time volunteer Shawn McPeek said, “I've run dozens of different races, from 5K's up to ultras, and I was always so appreciative of the volunteers that gave up their time and energy to ensure a smooth race for the participants. When I heard about the TBR, I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to try being on the other side of the race. The type of people that volunteer for such a thing tend to be really nice and friendly people, which makes volunteering with them a joy. Similarly, the racers are there because they want to be there and they are excited and bring a really good energy, which is great to be a part of.”
The 2022 Trailblazer Race was a great success by all accounts, and the Friends of Stevens Creek Trail benefitted from the generous support of several sponsors, without whom the race would simply not be possible. The Friends also want to thank the many race participants who made contributions in addition to their race fees at the time of registration. Those donations help keep registration costs down for everyone and make the race accessible to more members of our local communities.
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