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Over the years races have come and gone. Some of the ones which have gone are worth remembering for one reason or another. So I've started a list of old races which I hope will not be forgotten...

  • Santa Barbara Marathon -- First run in 1965, run annually until 1984. The half marathon started in 1978 as a companion and gradually took over. In the 60s this was one of five regularly scheduled marathons in the US.

    The original course started with a mile around the city college track then 12 miles out to UCSB and back. Course varied over the years.

  • Ventura 30K -- Out and back. Start at a park on the west side of the city, bikepath, turnaround near the oil pier.
  • Camino Cielo Half-Marathon -- Start/Finish at Camino Cielo General Store on top of San Marcos Pass. Challenging, scenic, out and back course - 13.1 miles along Camino Cielo Road towards La Cumbra Peak and back. (mentioned in an old newsletter)
  • Gaviota Pass 15K (Anyone know the route for this? mentioned in an old newsletter).
  • Hope Ranch 7Mi (Mentioned in Bill Rupp's profile, run in the 1980s)
  • Lagoon Fun Runs (5Mi) -- every sunday at UCSB (Again in Bill's profile)
  • Winter road runs -- started at palm park, went past the Biltmore, around Montecito under the freeway and ended at the bird sanctuary. Used as the course for the first 2 McConnell's races.
  • Paradise Road free-fall (actually the Mother's Day Run) -- Start at Cold Springs Tavern, out and back, fly 2 miles downhill to Paradise Store, then turn and head back up.
  • Romero Trail run -- either a 10K up Romero Trail to the Romero Rd, then down the road, or a 10M up the trail all the way to Camino Ciello and down Romero road.
    Stopped because more people said they wanted to do a trail race than actually showed up.
  • Stroh's Run for Liberty -- 8K around Stow park.
    one race was run as the Painted Cave fire started and the finish was in smoke.
  • Night Moves -- has varied its route and distance over the years
  • La Cumbre to La Playa -- start at La Cumbre plaza, down Los Positas, up Cliff, down Shoreline. An 8 mile race in 2002 and 2003.
  • Roses to La Playa -- (replacement for LC2LP) start at the Mission rose garden, down State. Various routes over the years. The current "Roses En La Playa" goes nowhere near the Mission's Rose Garden.
  • Santa Barbara News Press Half Marathon
    Map Picture
  • Nine Trails -- Start at Cator water treatment plant on San Roque Rd. Run Jesusita to Tunnel, up Tunnel to the Tunnel-Rattlesnake connector, down to the meadow, up Rattlesnake to Gibraltar, down Gibraltar to the hair pin, down west fork of Cold Springs to the east fork, up the east fork to the powerlines, across the fire roads to San Ysidro, down San Ysidro about a quarter mile to really steep fire road (the wall), up the wall to Buena Vista trail, down Buena Vista to the BV connector, up the connector to another fire road along that until you get to Romero trail, down to the trailhead, and then... turn around and run back to the start. This ~35mile race was run annually until 2008 when the Tea fire forced a last minute move to Ojai. In 2009 the Jesusita fire effectively killed any chances or resurrection and it morphed into the Red Rock 40.
    Map

And then I found Bill Rupp's profile where he says much the same: "Don't let the old races die!"

If anyone can recall another local race they liked, or provide more specifics on these, please tell me about it. I've only been running here since 2002 so am a relative newcomer.