Annual San Diego Fire Run 2010

This morning I attended the San Diego Fire Run, an annual charity event that starts at the cross streets of Prospect and Girard in La Jolla and ends at Mission Boulevard and Felspar in Pacific Beach. This 4 mile run/walk organized by StayClassy benefits 5 charities: San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation, Surfrider Foundation, Make A Wish Foundation, Jeans 4 Justice, and Volunteer San Diego. Let it be known… I had a blast!

Start The Race

At exactly 8:00AM the race was called to a start and over 1,800 participants of all ages charged through the starting line. What reward was waiting for them at the finish? A street festival filled with live music, free dri-release t-shirts, goodie bags, water, oranges and bagels for all runners. Not to mention free beer at PB Bar and Grill for those 21 and over.

I paced myself through the 4 mile run and enjoyed the cool morning air and beautiful view of the La Jolla coast. Volunteers were staffed at every intersection cheering on the runners, with San Diego Police scattered along the race line enforcing the full road closure. More volunteers stood post at each 1 mile marker, shouting out the current race time and genuine cheers of glory.

Race Time Tracking

Each runner was given a D-Tag shoelace bracelet, which triggers the computerized ChronoTrack timing system at the end of the race to track your final race time. Pretty nifty! The system works so well that an announcer can see the names of runners as they cross the finish line, calling out and congratulating the end of their journey along with crowds of volunteers, photographers and standers-by.

Results will be posted online following the event, and the first three winners in each age division will be awarded with monetary prizes, with $500 for the first overall male and female and $250 for the first master male and female.

Crossing the Finish

I crossed the finish line and the official time-clock read just after 9:00AM. Not a bad walk/jog finish time, as I stopped every now and then to take photos of the other runners. I was greeted by a wildly energetic after-party on Garnet Avenue with loads of goodies as promised. After lots of water, mingling and some well deserved rest, participants gathered to the shuttle line to board air-conditioned charter buses back to their cars at the starting line.

After my recent “Fire Walk” experience at Unleash the Power Within, I just knew that I had to attend the Fire Run when Nick informed me about it. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning in San Diego. I am sure the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation and other charities appreciate all who participated, along with their generous donations.

About the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation

The San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation is a public charity dedicated to supporting the needs of local fire fighters, helping to raise funds for unmet equipment and meet training requirements of the Fire Rescue Department in San Diego. By participating in this event, walkers and runners will help further enrich this program.

About StayClassy

StayClassy is a San Diego based on-demand social fundraising solution for Nonprofit organizations. Their web-based platform allows Nonprofits to receive online donations, organize fundraising events & campaigns, manage donors across social media, and access a real-time reporting and analytics engine. Whether you’re participating in the race, or lining the streets to support your active friends, StayClassy welcomes everyone at the Fire Run.

2010 San Diego Fire Run Photos