Last update February 14, 2018
Shar Anderson Memorial 5K Trail Run/Walk
1st Saturday in February, 7:30 AM start - no longer held.
Mt. Sac Cross Country Course Lower Field, Walnut CA,
Shar was a very active member of the Foothill Flyers and passed away from cancer. She was a math teacher at Mt. Sac Community College. For a few years, a Memorial Scholarship 5K was run at the college.
The Mt. San Antonio College Cross Country Course is one of the most revered and famous courses in the world. The names "Valley Loop", "Switchbacks", "Poop Out Hill" and "Reservoir Hill" have become part of cross country legend and lingo. This is your chance to experience it with a broad field of runners and walkers at a worthy event.
Funds raised from this event go to Shar's Memorial Scholarship awarded yearly to students that share Shar's advenurous sprit, positive attitude, yearn to learn and zest for life. When Shar was not running with the Foothill Flyers Running Club and Hash House Harriers, training for an Ironman tri with the Inland Inferno club, or riding a bike over all 7 continents, she taught math at Mt. Sac.
Click on course map above to down load and print a pdf copy including the 10K course.
The first race held February 6, 2010, started during a big storm that drenched and rutted out the cross country course and made it impossible to use. RD Brett Terrell and the Mt. Sac event staff got together and came up with an alternate 5K course of 2 loops mostly on asphalt. It was runable but in some spots water was over the tops of shoes. Never the less, a larger than anticipated number of runners braved the elements and did the race. By the smiles on the people in the photos below, you can tell that despite the elements, everyone had a great time.
The second annual event February 5, 2011, had completely different weather - cold but clear and the cross country course in good shape. The course maps handed out were nice to have, but most of us depended on the fast runners to know where they were going and not miss a turn. Twice around the Valley Loops got our heads spinning as well as our bodies when the fast people came around and passed us slow ones. Then the fun began with steep climbs up the Switchbacks, Poop Out and Reservoir Hills. 10K people got to do it twice followed by a strange dog leg out and back on the parking lot before finishing with one and a half times around the track. Defineately not your typical street 5K/10K or one to compare times to. However, it was a great fun adventure run worthy of Shar Anderson.
