Pac Striders Weekend Run, Sun Feb 26, Couples Relay or Wildcat Canyon

Hi Everyone,

This Sunday's run will be the Couple's Relay. We are departing from our usual trail faire because this race is just so much fun! Women start first at 9:00 AM with a 5K loop around Lake Merritt, then the men finish up with another. The start has been moved to the Sailboat House, 568 Bellevue Ave. in Oakland. You can enter the park at the intersection of Grand Ave. & Bellevue Ave., near Fairyland in Oakland. The Sailboat House is about 1/2 mile from the entrance. This is also the entrance for Children's Fairyland and the following link has directions to the park entrance from various locations in the Bay Area, just copy and paste into your browser:

http://www.fairyland.org/park-dir.html

Please note when you enter at Grand Ave. & Bellevue Ave. there is a attendant on duty from sometime around 8:00 a.m. or so and he collects $3 for the City of Oakland. You can also enter the park at Perkins St. & Grand Ave. without having to pay a fee, park and walk over to the Start/Finish area, about a 2-3 block walk.

Just announced, there will be two massage therapists at the race providing free massages, Peter Mulders and Andy Carter (www.muldersmassage.com).

Finally as a reminder, this race benefits the Hershey Track and Field program - Oakland Chapter, and if you would like to make a donation on race day we will have a donation box available.

For you die hard trail dogs, we offer a self guided tour of Wildcat Canyon leaving from Lone Oak picnic area in Tilden Park.

Trail Directions: From Lone Oak picnic area run up Lone Oak Drive (away from Central Park Drive). This will lead you to a dirt road known as the bicycle loop. The loop trail will lead you to Wildcat CreekTrail near Jewel Lake. Continue on in the same direction on Wildcat Creek Trail to it's end at the Alvarado Area parking lot. Return for a 10 mile round trip. When you reach Jewel Lake, there will be a "Loop Road" sign to guide you back.

Directions to Lone Oak: Lone Oak is on Central Park Dr. near the Nature Center at the Canon Dr. entrance to Tilden, near the intersection of Spruce St. and Grizzly Peak Blvd. in Berkeley.

From all points except Highway 24 heading west, take Interstate 80 to Albany. From Intersate 80 east take the Buchanan exit in Albany and turn right at the light at the top of the ramp onto Buchanan. From Interstate 80 west, take the Buchanan exit and turn left at the stop sign at the end of the ramp. Follow this street as it curves left, then right, and it we lead you onto Buchanan.

Proceed on Buchanan and after you cross San Pablo Ave., it will become Marin. Proceed up Marin toward the hills. When you hit a traffic circle, proceed halfway around and continue up the steep hill on Marin. The next stop sign is Spruce St., turn left. Follow Spruce to Grizzly Peak. Cross Grizzly Peak and take an immediate left onto Canon Dr. Take a right at the bottom onto Central Park Dr., then a left onto Lone Oak in about .25 miles. Park near the Lone Oak picnic area.

From Highway 24 west, take the Fish Ranch Road exit and turn right to go up the hill at the stop sign. Turn right onto Grizzley Peak and stay on it a LONG ways until the Spruce St. intersection. Right on Spruce, then take an immediate left onto Canon Dr. Take a right at the bottom onto Central Park Dr., then a left onto Lone Oak in about .25 miles. Park near the Lone Oak picnic area.

Have a good weekend,
Mike