Photo courtesy Spectrum Sports
Catalina Island’s rugged terrain and breath-taking vistas have been challenging athletes for decades. Each year, feats of speed and endurance dot the calendar, with marathons, double marathons and a triathlon attracting extreme athletes from around the country to Catalina Island.
On March 15, one of those marathons will fill Catalina’s roads and trails with dozens of runners. Starting near Cat Harbor, at Two Harbors on Catalina Island’s remote West End, the course takes runners through 26 miles of chaparral and oak woodlands, past bison and Island fox over steep inclines and through shaded valleys. A baker’s dozen of aid stations will support those runners, with volunteers providing water and high energy snacks. The race finishes in Avalon, on Sumner Avenue, within sight of Avalon Harbor. The first finishers should start showing up just before 10 a.m., less than three hours from the 7 a.m. start.
For those looking to challenge themselves but aren’t quite up to the endurance busting of a marathon, there will also be a 5K, 10K and a kids run in Avalon.
The Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon is a fundraiser for the Catalina Island Conservancy, the organization responsible for maintaining the majority of Catalina Island in its natural state in perpetuity.