Saratoga News

Great Race shapes up with 2,500 participants expected

Runners from throughout the South Bay will be putting on their athletic shoes Feb. 22 and dashing off from Saratoga to Los Gatos--come rain or shine--for the Rotary Club of Los Gatos Great Race, known to all as The Great Race, a four-mile run whose profits benefit the Los Gatos Rotary Club and its many charitable causes.

The race began in 1978. In its early days, starting guns fired in both localities, with Saratogans starting off in their city and Los Gatans and Monte Sereno residents beginning in Los Gatos. Runners passed each other at a Highway 9 midpoint and continued on to their respective finish lines. The race at the time was limited to residents of these cities or people who worked there.

In 1984, after dwindling corporate sponsorship for the race, the Los Gatos Rotary Club stepped in to manage and stage the event, with Saratoga Savings and Loan as a major sponsor. The two-way format of the race changed into the four-mile run it has consisted of for years. Starting point is now Big Basin Way and Third Street in Saratoga; the finish line is at N. Santa Cruz and Bean avenues.

This year's Great Race is expected to attract some 2,500 runners. Wheelchair athletes are welcome to participate. This is the third year that competitive runners can be "seeded," which means they are allowed to start from strategic positions ahead of the pack. The Great Kids' Race offers kids age 10 and younger the opportunity to run a race of their own.

As each runner crosses the finish line, announcers will call out their names and cities of residence. Runners then need only take a few more steps to a reception area, where Rotarians will hand out goodie bags filled with snacks, drinks and promotional items.

The entry fee, which includes a T-shirt and goodie bag, is $20 prior to the race or $25 on race day. Preregistration is available at the Runners Factory or Athletic Performance, both located in Los Gatos. Registration on race day begins at 7 a.m. at Saratoga School on Oak Street. The race begins at 9 a.m. For more information, call 980-7242.

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