Avalon 50 Recap

[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]

Last Saturday, I ran the Avalon 50 miler on Catalina Island, which has been around for 42 (!) years. It’s managed by the Avalon Lions Club to generate funds that support island charities and Avalon schools. The city of Avalon was incorporated in 1913, and has a population of ~3,377. Avalon is the southernmost city in Los Angeles county, and thrives on tourism. Catalina is infamous for its heard of bison, which are believed to be descendants of a small herd that was brought to the island by a movie company in 1924. It’s charming, beautiful, and only a quick ferry ride off the coast of Southern California.

I ran this race last year as well, so I had a better sense of what the course would be like. This year, due to recent rainstorms, the course was modified to avoid the out and back to Two Harbors. Due to the modified course, the course repeated itself a few times, a factor I initially dreaded but ended up enjoying because I was able to see a bunch of my friends multiple times.

The race starts early (5 a.m.) with an optional 4 a.m. start time for people who don’t want to sleep at all. I like the 5 a.m. start, because the first 90 minutes flies by in the dark, and because an early start means an early finish (if all goes well).