(15th Half, 2015) Running the High Sierras is simply stunning! The race begins at Horseshoe Lake, nearly 9,000 ft. above sea level. Runners are shuttled from all partnering hotels – we stayed at the Sierra Nevada Resort, just feet from the finish line – and from Mammoth High School’s parking lot. The weather is pretty chilly in downtown Mammoth Lakes, but up at Horseshoe, it’s easily 10 degrees cooler.(Thankfully, I’d worn compression pants and a long-sleeved tech.) If you’re planning this run, consider layers. After about a mile in, the route loops around Mary Lake, a beautiful mile-two inclusion, early risers trout fishing, enjoying the crisp morning air, and applauding runners onward. By mile nine, the tree-lined paths, meandering streams, and picturesque bridges of Inyo National Forest add to this breathtaking run – and I do mean that literally.(I’d never run at such high elevation before. Sometimes it was difficult to get a deep breath!) Nevertheless, this race was awesome, and it just kept getting better and better! I’d run Mammoth’s Half as part of the San Diego/Mammoth Challenge – completing the San Diego Half Marathon in March and the Mammoth Half Marathon in the same calendar year. Certainly, it’s a lengthy drive from Orange County to Mammoth Lakes, but the medals for finishing Mammoth’s Half and for completing the Challenge are dynamite! Easily, these awards are some of my favorites, and I’ll look forward to running the Challenge again.
