100 MILES OF WONDER: Many a marathoner, even those people who can take on the 26.1 miles without a blink or a care, looks to races like the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley with wonder, and, well, more wonder. That's 135 miles long and it happens in July, in the desert, so, yeah, there's a lot of wonder to be had around that particular race. But any athletic, physical-effort-y event that eclipses a certain amount of miles is worthy of our wonder. How do the participants do it? How do they conserve their energy? What do they do when they hit a mile they don't think they can make it through?
THERE'S A NEW EVENT... To ask those wonder-filled questions about: The California 100. Billed as the state's first ultra-marathon paddle race, the California 100 will wend its way, via kayaks, surf skis, and canoes, from Redding to Chico on Saturday, May 25.
YEAH, REDDING TO CHICO: That's not a snappy little distance, as you know, hence the "100" in the event's name. The river, of course, is the famous and gorgeous Sacramento, so bet the people with the oars'll have some lookie-loo-ing to do as they paddle (if they afford themselves a few seconds now and then to do so).
FOUR COUNTIES: To give some scope to the epic length of this race, the California 100 will visit a quartet of counties. There are several checkpoints along the way, and intermediate paddlers are expected as well as elite racers. Rivers for Change is the non-profit that the race supports.
So what's the next ultra-marathon for the Golden State? We have running, paddling, a few dance events here and there that last for over a day... What brave and bold sector is next?
