Runner’s guide to race season in Sacramento: What to know, where to go and how to sign up
Between the beginning of August and the end of 2024, there are 54 organized races scheduled to take place in the Sacramento area, giving both experienced and beginning runners a chance to compete or set goals for themselves in fun ways.
“I think the community has really adopted running as the popular community for our city,” said Sean Garbutt, the head running coach associated with Fleet Feet in Sacramento, Davis and Elk Grove.
Fleet Feet is among the more well-known chain stores in the U.S. that specializes in running shoes and apparel. It was founded in Sacramento as a single store in 1972 and has since become a fixture in running communities throughout the country with 170 stores. The store organizes running groups and a range of training sessions for beginners to those training for marathons.
The end of summer starts the uptick in training for races in the fall through next spring, which is considered the busy race season for the region. The biggest event is the California International Marathon Dec. 3, a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Some runners training for that race began an 18-week program this week designed to ramp up to the 26.2-mile slog.
But others getting into running and considering their first races might prefer something more friendly like the 5k Color Run on Nov. 11 or the Urban Cow half marathon and 5 on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Training for a 5k can take four to 12 weeks, depending on the runner’s fitness level and experience. Those new to fitness might need the full 12 weeks while those who exercise regularly may only need a month.
“I think that’s the great thing about racing,” Garbutt said. “There’s so much variety out there that you can have many different experiences. For the competitive athlete, you can test your training against some of the best runners in the region. And I think that competitive environment is really exciting.
“And if you’re someone that’s just getting into fitness, you have that motivation and accountability of preparing for an event and having a really meaningful milestone at the end of your training and something to measure your progress against.”
Running, of course, has numerous physical and mental benefits. But it can be hard to get into, particularly at the competitive level. Taking it up doesn’t necessarily mean training for races or signing up for them. But the races offer an inherent support system and allow for rewards like running to support a charity, participating with friends or having family members support runners at a finish line.
For those looking to break into the sport, Garbutt suggests not doing it alone.
“The first thing I would say is find someone else to run with,” he said. “I think running is a really social sport. We think about it as an individual sport because you’re not on a team. But it’s actually extremely social because the amount of people you can run with and the variety of things you can do. You’re not bound by only being able to play on a court or only have 10 people on a court at one time. You can have these huge group runs.
“Find a group run, meet some other runners and really enjoy the process of going out and going for a run. And once you love the process of it, then you can start thinking about training, or looking for a coach or signing up for a race.”
Running experts believe running 10 to 15 miles a week is the best way for beginners to settle into a running routine. Beginners are encouraged to incorporate walking into their runs while building up stamina to run more consistently. And to train for a race, Fleet Feet’s suggested program is to run 10 to 25 miles per week for a 5k, 25 to 30 miles per week for a 10k, 30 to 40 miles per week for a half marathon and 40 to 60 miles per week for a full marathon.
Social media has proven to be a powerful tool for connecting runners to others to help them along their personal journey. Facebook has numerous running groups at national and local levels to allow runners to share ideas and connect locally. Businesses also participate by organizing group runs and events.
“A lot of local coffee shops and breweries host running clubs,” Garbutt said. “More than likely at a place where you might be eating dinner or grabbing a beer after a run, or getting a morning coffee, they might have a running club that meets there once a week.”
The races scheduled in the Sacramento region through next year range from 100 participants to 1,000. This includes events in Lincoln, Pollock Pines, Coloma, Folsom, Winters, Roseville and Placerville with many supporting charitable causes. A list of those races with links to sign-up information and other details can be found at runguides.com.
