Kern River Trail Runs

Saturday March 24, 2007
7:30 AM
Kern River Park, Bakersfield — just East of Lake Ming

** For those who did not compete in the 2006 race, we have a limited number of finisher pins and year ladder attachments for sale. You can buy the master pin and the dangles for each of the past years you actually finished the race. 2006 finishers already received their pins, but may buy dangles for previous years. For more information, please email Doug Johnston

REGISTER:
• 1. Online at Active.com
• 2. Download and mail an Entry Form.

AWARDS:
• All finishers will be timed and scored. Awards for the top 3 M/F in each 10 year division.

RACE INFORMATION:
• Call: Doug Johnston at (661)203-4196 or Regina Arriaga at (661)391-7080 djohnston@co.kern.ca.us

WHERE TO STAY?
• Camping is available at the Kern River Campground: Cost- $18 Call: 1-661-868-7000
  Also, TripAdvisor is a good website to peruse the local hotel offerings.

WHERE IS THE RACE?
• From Highway 99, take Highway 178 exit heading east. Turn left on Alfred Harrell Highway. Proceed to the first stop sign, turn right. Follow signs to Kern River Park, just east of Lake Ming.

AID STATION COMPETITION:
• Every year, members of our community volunteer to come out and set up our “Super Aid Stations.” Besides the cups of water, these stations offer a variety of munchies, beverages, and entertainment. There will be between 3 and 5 of these stations on the 10 and 20 mile courses. Besides helping you along, these volunteers are hoping to earn your vote in a competition of their own. At the finishline refreshment corral, you will be asked to vote for your favorite aid station. Please vote with the same enthusiasm that the volunteers showed you on the course, they take their competition very seriously.

The Courses

The 5K
• The 5K course is out and back from the picnic grounds, along the river, and behind Lake Ming. A flat, paved start leads to a short downhill within ¼ mile. At the bottom of the downhill, be prepared for a quick right turn into a dirt parking lot. Past the lot is the beginning of a packed sand trail that winds through a variety of trees near the Kern River. At about the 1 mile point, the course reaches Lake Ming, where it follows a dirt path on the North side of the lake to the turn around. Now it is a simple matter of retracing your steps, and don’t forget that short downhill near the start will now be a quick uphill.

The 10 Mile
• The 10 mile course is shaped vaguely like a lower case letter “d.” There is a 3 mile out and back portion with a 4 mile loop in the middle. The First 4 ¼ miles are relatively flat along the Kern river on a mixture of surfaces ranging from sand and clay to pavement. There are a few quick ups and downs along this section, but they are minor. At this point, the 10 mile and 20 mile courses split. The 20 mile continues along the river, but the 10 mile turns to the left, crosses a road, and heads UP the bluffs. This ½ mile long pull is the only major climb of the course. Marked in yellow on the map between miles 4 and 5, most runners choose to walk some of the sections of switchbacks just after the water tanks. Once the 10 mile course reaches the top of the bluffs, it again rejoins the 20 mile course for a short flat section before beginning a 2 mile gradual descent back toward the river. Watch your footing as you try to regain some of the time you lost on the climb. From mile 7 to the finish, the course is in familiar territory as it retraces the first 3 miles along the river.

The 20 Mile
• This is NOT an easy course. Many finishers have said this course is harder than running a road marathon. There are 5 major uphills, and some pretty fun downhills to test your quads. For 5 ½ miles, the course winds along following the path of the Kern River. Runners will traverse sand, pavement, clay, grass, and gravel in this relatively flat section. At about 5 ½ miles, the course turns left, cuts through Hart Park, and heads up the bluff. This is a fairly steep singletrack climb with no switchbacks just to the East of the shooting range in Hart Park. Welcome to the hills. For the next 10 miles, the course takes runners up and down a variety of climbs and descents ranging from short and steep to long, relentless grinds of about a mile. From mile 16 on in to the finish line, the course again is along the river except for the quick uphill to the finish.