Sam Fiandaca is the race director of the Nitro Trail Half Marathon
Hello, on June 5th 2010, you’ll be organizing the Nitro Trail Half Marathon . Can you tell us where it is located?
This race will be at the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. This is a relatively small but beautiful park surrounded on three sides by the San Pablo Bay. It used to be its own little along with the dynamite factory that was located there. It has a fascinating history. The eucalyptus groves, for example, were put there to act as buffers in case of an accidental explosion!
§staticmap(5234,5)
How old is the race and why was it created in the first place?
This will be the second year for the race. It was created because there have been no other races there for a while and we knew that people would love running there.
What kind of route have you set up for the runners? How would you describe it?
The 5K course is a loop, as is the 10K. The Half Marathon winds through the park covering approximately 75% of the trails there and then does a second loop. This is our only course of any race that includes a second loop but with views as beautiful as you find there, I don’t think anyone will mind!
How many runners do you expect on Saturday morning? What type of runners do you plan to
attract?
We expect about 400 runners. Our races tend to be in the 400-600 participant range. The range of runners is very wide. We always get a few hotshot speed demons, but we also get a lot of first-time half marathon runners, first-time trail runners and first-time race runners. Our races are very welcoming to runners at all levels of skill and experience.
Do you organize other races during the Week-End? If so, on what distances?
Yes, there will also be a 5K and 10K.
At that time of the year, what kind of weather can we expect?
Because this park is surrounded by the bay, morning temperatures are usually in the 50s, perfect for running. By noon the temps will generally be in the upper 60s, maybe even low 70s if we are having a warm spell.
Have you planned festivities around the half marathon?
Nothing special outside of race day, but we try to have a great snacks at the finish line and people tend to hang around and socialize for a while after the race and enjoy the company of their fellow runners.
The half marathon finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Pinole before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing?
The possibilities are endless. There is a farmer’s market in old town Pinole on Saturday morning, plus plenty of local good restaurants to visit. And all the attractions of the Bay Area are within short driving distance (about 20 minutes to San Francisco, etc.).
In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of ahotu Marathons to make them register for the Nitro Trail Half Marathon?
Our motto is “We’re your biggest fan!” and so we want you to have a great race and a great time and when you put that together with a park as scenic as this, there’s no way you can go wrong.