Saratoga News
Sports
Will Saratoga's Balkman defend Dammit title?
By Dick Sparrer
Who's running in 2006? Not just Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Angelides. In fact, the two gubernatorial nominees won't even be in the field when the competitors hit the trail for the Los Gatos Dammit Run on Aug. 12.
And if you think the campaign trail's tough, try running the 5-mile trail from the Los Gatos High School track to the face of Lexington Dam, then back again!
It's rough, it's dusty, it's competitive--and it's also become one of the most popular running events in the Santa Clara Valley. The Dammit Run will return to town for its 33rd running this Saturday, and there for all of them have been race organizers and promoters Bruce Springbett and Willie Harmatz.
Springbett, of the sponsoring Los Gatos Athletic Association, and Harmatz, owner of Athletic Performance and longtime Los Gatos track and cross country coach, have been the driving forces behind the annual run that raises money for the track repair fund at Los Gatos High School.
A year ago, more than 500 runners braved the heat and the rugged trail to compete in the Dammit Run, and it was Jason Balkman of Saratoga and Ashley Caldwell of Los Gatos running to victories.
Balkman, a four-time Central Coast Section cross country champion at Lynbrook and a former Stanford star, outran Patrick Parsel to the finish line.
Caldwell, who helped Los Gatos to a CCS cross country championship in 2000 before becoming an All-American in both track and cross country at UCLA, beat former Presentation great Melissa Grelli of Cupertino to the tape in the women's division.
Will Balkman return to defend his title this weekend? Well, it's not uncommon to see runners return for the race year in and year out. For Balkman, last year marked his third Dammit victory, and former Dammit champs Gary Blanco and Chris Cozort also ran in last year's event.
Another competitive field is expected again this year for the traditional race. But one thing's for sure--it's certainly no walk in the park. And anyone who has made the dusty climb to the face of Lexington Dam and back knows it.
As races go, this is a tough one. And race organizers caution Dammit entrants about the extreme conditions they may face on the trail with a warning printed right on the race flyer:
"This course is rough, hot, rocky, dusty, with very steep uphill terrain and narrow trails," the race flyer warns. "Don't underestimate its difficulty--this is not a race for the faint of heart or the timid."
The race will start tamely enough on the track at the high school, and it will finish in the same location. But in between, runners had best be prepared for the rocky, dusty trip into the foothills and up to Lexington.
Runners will race down the trail next to Los Gatos High School's lower field, past Forbes Mill and across Main Street to make the climb up to Lexington. Runners will cross the face of the dam and head back down the hill to College Avenue, and race back to the finish line on the Los Gatos track.
Race-day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., and the starting gun will blast at 8:30 a.m.
All finishers will receive ribbons, and the West Valley Track Club will provide computerized results.
The pre-registration entry fee is $10 ($30 with a T-shirt), and the fee is $20 on race day ($40 with a T-shirt). T-shirts alone are priced at $20 and will be sold at the track on race day or in advance at Athletic Performance, 55 W. Main St., or at the Runners Factory, 51 University Ave. Pre-registration closes Aug. 10, 6 p.m.
For more information, call 408.354.7365 or 408.395.4311.
