CROSS-COUNTRY : RUNNERS GET THEIR FILL AT CANYONS COURSE.Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News There has to be a more enjoyable way to spend a hot summer evening. Still every Thursday night, for more than two decades, runners continue to challenge the grueling, hilly trails of the three-mile cross-country course at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. . ``I guess I must be lame or brain dead,'' said Barry Truex, 62, of Canyon Country, who has been participating for the past 12 years. The seven-week series, open to runners of all ages, will celebrate the conclusion of its 23rd season Thursday night at 7 p.m. The series has grown to proportions Hart assistant coach Rich Golding never imagined when he started the race in 1973 with former Hart coach Gene Blankenship as a social gathering for area runners. Using shovels and rakes, the pair cleared out brush for the inaugural race. About 30 to 40 runners turned out in the early years with an entry fee of 25 cents. Today, the cost is $3 with a turnout of about 150 runners. Nearly 300 are expected for the championship Thursday. ``It was like a big tailgate party In North America, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves alcoholic beverages and barbecuing. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas before, and occasionally after or during, at first but now it's a tradition,'' Golding said. ``Property is so valuable, I'm grateful each year we still have the land to have the race. I think each year will be the last but somehow we have found a way to keep it going.'' Proceeds from the races, about $800 after expenses, benefit the cross-country programs at College of the Canyons and Hart High. COC See chip on chip. cross-country coach Lindie Heck said money from the races have helped provided emergency funds for purchasing shoes and traveling costs of sending athletes to the state meet in Fresno. The series is the primary fundraiser for Hart, which has used the funds to help purchase uniforms and finance trips to Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern invitationals at Stanford and Clovis in past years. ``It takes a lot of work but it's an impressive community event,'' Hart coach Larry David said. ``Running is a real popular and the event has gotten tremendous support.'' Support has come in numerous forms. In addition to firing the starter's pistol, David sets up and mans the finish chute and digital time clock each week. Hart assistant coach Jeff Boyd prints out finish times on his home computer and hands out race results to participants the following week. Running Wilde Sporting Goods Noun 1. sporting goods - sports equipment sold as a commodity commodity, trade good, good - articles of commerce sports equipment - equipment needed to participate in a particular sport of Canyon Country provides trophies and prints commemorative T-Shirts. For several years, C.A. Rasmussen construction company has graded trails and cleared out shrubbery by tractor at no charge. The start of the race has been moved twice since the race's inception but the last two miles of the course has gone relatively unchanged. The race originally began in a parking lot at the south end of the campus. The start was moved to the top of the hills above the school in the early 1991 and moved to its present location about 600 yards away two years ago. The first mile is relatively flat except for a steep 50-meter incline shortly before the mile marker. From there, it's a long downhill as the course winds adjacent to the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. (5). The steepest hill comes shortly before the two-mile mark, a 45-degree grade about 150 meters long. Finally, runners must endure a gut-wrenching half-mile series of switchbacks back to finish at the summit of the hill near the race's starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the . The course, also used by Hart for its Foothill League home meets and the Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, invitational, is considered to be more difficult than the renowned course at Mt. San Antonio College Mt. San Antonio College (commonly called Mt. SAC; pronounced as the word "sack") is a community college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Walnut, California, next to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona which is just over a hill. Mt. . Over the years, the event has been a benchmark for the Santa Clarita areas' top runners who have competed at COC in high school, college and beyond. Mark LaPlant, 31, the 1994 overall series champion, commutes from Santa Monica to run. He ran the series while attending Palmdale High and Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster, California, USA. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of 1,945 square miles covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern counties. and Cal State L.A., where he was a member of the Golden Eagles' 1987 NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Western Region champion team. LaPlant, who competes for Asics Track West, uses this year's races to prepare for the upcoming cross-country season this fall. ``It's a great hill workout,'' LaPlant said. ``If you can run well here, you're in pretty good shape. It's great coming back each year to see friends and runners you've competed against for so long as well as the new faces in the area.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Runners take off from the starting line of one of th e Thursday night cross country races cross country races races which feature jumps, water hazards and which test the horses' speed and stamina. at College of the Canyons. This summer's running series, in its 23rd year, ends tonight. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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