The Mt. Wilson Trail Race for 2022 takes off on Saturday, May 28, from Kersting Court, at the corner of Sierra Madre Blvd. and Baldwin Ave. in Sierra Madre. The event this year celebrates the 114th anniversary of the Race.
One of the oldest trail races in California, the Mt. Wilson Trail Race (MWTR) takes you 8.6 miles from Kersting Court in Sierra Madre to Orchard Camp and back. The elevation gain is over 2,160 feet on a winding course that changes regularly due to fire, earthquakes, and erosion.
The original path, first used by the Gabrielino Indians, was dug out by Benjamin “Don Benito” Wilson in 1864. In 1908, the first Mt. Wilson Trail Race was held, with runners racing to Mount Wilson, resting for a half hour, and then racing back down. Joseph B. King of San Francisco was the winner of that first race, which he finished round-trip in 2:11:35.
The idea of the race originated with Charles J. Fox, publisher of the Police Gazette, who offered a gold medal to the athlete who could win the race three times.
The race was held sporadically from the first year until the late 1940s and early 1950s when it was abandoned completely. In the fall of 1965, the race was revived and has since become an annual Sierra Madre event.
Although limited to 350 runners, registration for the 2022 Mt. Wilson Trail Race is still open and can be done online by going to www.mountwilsontrailrace.com/
Registration fees are $70 for 18 years old to 99, and $39 for 14 to 17 years old.
Registration will take place on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited to 350 participants. In the event that you do not obtain one of the 350 MWTR registration spaces, your name will be added to the MWTR waitlist. People are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible, as the race is expected to sell out early.
For more information, call (626) 355-5278.
