"In 1972, some kids got on top of the Los Gatos High School gym roof and stole all the high school's footballs," said Springbett. "The school had no money to buy more, so that was when I started the Los Gatos Athletic Association."

The LGAA's Dammit Run fundraiser drew 200 participants in its first year. It was such a success, Springbett decided to make it an annual event. Eventually, enough money was being raised to help support many facets of the Los Gatos sports program, from paying coaches to providing new equipment to funding the track facility.

When hundreds of runners take to the hills behind Los Gatos up to the Lexington Dam on Aug. 16 for the 30th Annual Dammit Run, Springbett will look on with longtime co-organizer Willie Harmatz as they have done every year.

"It's a great race for the community," said Harmatz. "The toughness of the trails and popularity of the course make it unique."

Though the course has been slightly modified four times over the past 30 years, one thing has remained constant—the same disclaimer has always been displayed on the registration form:

"This course is rough, rocky, dusty, with very steep uphill terrain and narrow trails," the race flier warns. "Don't underestimate its difficulty—this is not a race for the faint of heart or the timid."

This particular writer put the 30-year challenge to the test when he ran the full course on a hot Tuesday afternoon. Here now is a first-person description of the course and what this runner experienced along the way:

The race starts and ends on the track at Los Gatos High, but the flat, cushioned surface does not last for long. After one lap around the track, the course snakes around the high school tennis courts and sports fields.

When jogging along a nicely paved road toward the Los Gatos Creek Trail, it's easy to forget the difficulty that lies ahead. But a half-mile into the race, the terrain changes from pavement to dirt, reminding this runner that the Dammit Run will not be just another run in the park.

The course runs parallel to Highway 17 during the beginning stages, providing a cacophony of noisy big rigs and buzzing cars. After crossing underneath Main Street, the path takes on the permanent state it will possess for the climb up to Lexington Reservoir—rocky, dusty and rugged. A pale green water pipe on the right side of the path acts as a monotonous tour guide to the top.

As this runner passes the one-mile mark, it takes only a glance to the right to see Highway 17 is now winding up through the Santa Cruz Mountains, reminding him that the cozy confines of Los Gatos have been replaced by the treacherous mountain ascent.

The course remains relatively flat and shady, which bodes well for the time being, but makes this runner wary of what might lie around the next turn. Scattered wooden benches line the path, as if beckoning the overworked runner to sit down and take a break.

The first sign of things to come appears at the 1.5-mile mark. A lone yellow sign stands tall with the word "hill" printed on it. Never before has a sign so simple been so intimidating.

Luckily, the steep uphill flattens out onto a wide maintenance dirt road. At this time, the dam comes into view. The two-mile mark creeps up much slower than the first, as the path makes a slow but constant climb across the face of the dam.

After cresting the long hill, this runner enjoys his view from the top and catches his breath alongside the sparkling water of the Lexington Reservoir.

But this runner soon finds out that his breather at the top is actually nowhere near the summit of this trail. Instead, a passerby informs him the most difficult climb immediately follows. The friendly local's face turns to a scowl, as he describes the trail using expressions not suitable to print.

The reason for the passerby's disposition becomes apparent to this runner the moment he begins the steep ascent on Jones Trail. With his calves already burning and his mind concerned with the steep grade of the trail, the runner must also dodge huge rocks and eroding dirt cluttering the path. The runner moves slowly up the hill, trying to merely avoid spraining an ankle or twisting a knee. If it wasn't clear before, he now knows why this race is not for the faint of heart.

"There are two tough hills: the dam face and Jones Trail," Harmatz said. "The start of Jones Trail—that is the kill hill."

At about the three-mile mark, the climb finally stops. The one reward for reaching the summit is the excellent view at the top. The reservoir sits in the background, while Highway 17 and rolling hills blanketed in trees stretches fill the forefront. Hundreds of feet below, the beginning portion of the Dammit Run trail can be seen. The one landmark missing is the town of Los Gatos. It is still out of sight, which reminds this runner that two more miles remain.

As the trail descends into the foothills, the trees provide a much-needed cover of shade. But even the downhill requires caution. The uneven surface and large rocks make it very easy to clip one's toe and tumble to the ground. This runner's knees begin to weaken from the constant pounding running down the steep trail. What happened to the time when running downhill used to feel good?

Finally, signs of civilization greet this runner as he exits the rocky trail and lumbers onto Jones Road. Avoiding a pile of dog excrement, this runner chuckles at the change in his obstacles from just one mile earlier.

Jones Road quickly ends and the course turns left onto College Avenue. As this runner travels down the neighborhood streets, he barely notices when he passes the four-mile mark. College Avenue intersects with Main Street—providing a moment of jubilation for this runner, who finally recognizes where he is again. The stay on Main Street is a short one, as the course drops back down to the original path the runner traced in the opening mile.

The speeding cars on Highway 17 don't seem to be as distracting anymore, and the final half-mile's flatness is warmly accepted. After running by the high school fields, the course does not travel around the tennis courts but instead zips by the newly remodeled classrooms.

Finally, the track is in sight and the finish line is just one final lap away. This runner comes down the home stretch using all his remaining energy to finish the seemingly never-ending five-mile course.

And in the distance, behind Los Gatos High, lie the dirt trails and rolling foothills leading up to the Lexington Reservoir, which serves as a final reminder of just how far this runner has come since the start of the run.

"I want people to feel they've been tested when they cross the finish line." Springbett said.

Count this runner in as one of those who fulfilled Springbett's assessment.

Race-day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., and the starting gun will fire at 8:30 a.m. Runners can pre-register at Athletic Performance, 55 W. Main St., at the Runners Factory, 51 University Ave. or on the Internet at http://www.active.com through Aug. 14.

Proceeds from the Dammit go to benefit the Los Gatos High School Track Repair Fund. For more information, call 408.354.7365 or 408.395.4311.