Noyo Headlands Race goes on
FORT BRAGG » In the spring of this year, it appeared that COVID-19 shelter-in-place rules would be in place for a minimum of several months. This prompted the Noyo Headlands Race committee to make the difficult decision to cancel the Sept. 5 race.
When Fort Bragg City Councilor Bernie Norvell learned of this, he reached out to Bethany Brewer, a member of the committee, and urged her to consider producing a virtual race. During a time that seemed hopeless, Norvell looked for ways to offer people hope. Bethany, in her usual can- do manner, brought the committee back together and set about redesigning the event.
The timeline for the virtual race was June 15- Sept. 5. Participants could select from four different events— 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and the Marathon. They could run anywhere and as many times as they wanted, then download their best completion time. A total of 40 people from across the state and around the county participated — Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maine and Massachusetts. A few people signed up for multiple events.
First place winners are Tim Morin in the Marathon, Erin Morin in the 5K and 10K, and Chandra Blencowe in the Half Marathon. Erin ( Wyner) Morin, FBHS class of ’99, was scheduled to run the Boston Marathon in April, but it was canceled due to the Coronavirus. She ran that virtually too, with a time of 3:21:31, just a week after she completed the Noyo Headlands Race.
“Cheers to in-person racing next year!” she said.
This year, a special category was created to waive the entry
fee for youth under 16 years of age. A special thanks to scholarship donors Dunlap Roofing and Sean Leland State Farm.
The committee also thanks our sponsors: Body by Bethany, Kate Erickson LPL Financial, Bald Hill Cattle Company, Computaccount, Jon Melcher CPA and Ken Baumgartner DDS.
The race organizers include Kate Erickson, Bethany Brewer, Yvette McGuire, Megan Smithyman, Nicole Gold and Bri Cartoni.
They are grateful to everyone who participated and helped raise money for their charity, the Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation. As an added bonus, they received feedback from several runners who were happy to have a goal to pursue during this challenging time.