Santa Cruz is the largest island off the coast of California. Located between Anacapa and Santa Rosa Islands, it lies from 19-25 miles off the adjacent mainland coast between Ventura and Santa Barbara.

The scenic beauty of Santa Cruz Island is reflected in its many landforms - two rugged mountain ranges, the highest peaks on the Channel Islands, deep canyons, a central valley, year-round springs and streams, plus 77 miles of craggy coastline cliffs, giant sea caves, pristine tide-pools and expansive beaches. Lying directly on the boundary between cold northern and warm southern waters, this island hosts unique plant, animal, and marine communities representing nearly 1000 miles of coastline.

According to a legend, Santa Cruz Island was named for a priest's staff accidentally left on the island during the Portola expedition of 1769. A Chumash Native American found the cross-tipped stave and returned it to the priest. The Spaniards were so impressed that they called this island of friendly people "La Isla de Santa Cruz", the Island of the Sacred Cross.

Today, the ownership of Santa Cruz Island is divided between The Nature Conservancy and the Channel Islands National Park Service.

The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the western 76% of the island.

We are offering the new Islay Wilderness race Course on the island. 100%  through the wilderness and unavailable to run except the day of our race. Be advised the run is in a restricted area and no persons are allowed to visit or pre run the course. We must respect the research and wilderness activities of the Nature Conservancy.

What does that mean?

This course will be called the Islay Route.

The traditional route for the last five years is the Island Fox Route.

They are very similar,  both courses start and finish at the red barn at prisoners Harbor.

This exciting new Islay 13.5 miles route is entirely in the wilderness and has been facilitated by the kindness and gratitude of The Nature Conservancy and the UCSB Research Center.

Now for the details. Both the traditional Island Fox course and the Isla Course are going to be on the books for 2025.

The Isla course is mind blowing island wilderness.

Sitting here in the Ahwahnee  Lodge as we write this.

We wonder how John Muir or Annie Montague Alexander would describe the new course?

Annie Montague Alexander was the type of natural woman who “…preferred to enter her upstairs bedroom through the window rather than bothering to use the stairs.”

Let’s go with her description.

The run starts at the red barn as usual. After 167 feet we turn right up the oak studded canyon to the Central Valley. This has never been run before in any race.

This canyon reminds us of Wood Canyon at Pt Mugu State Park ( a perfect training route for you is in this canyon).

The Santa Cruz Island canyon is filled with wildlife and island specific native plants you have likely never seen.

The 2.67 mile long oak canyon gains 155 feet in elevation from the start.

It has 8 creek crossings which will narrow down to about 3 creek crossings in November.

These 3 creek crossings are about 20 to 40 feet wide and 4 to 12” deep.

Will I get my feet wet? Yes you will and you will love it !!

When we tell you that this is one of a kind, nowhere else on the Pacific Coast of the United States we mean it. We have been going out surveying the course with staff from both organizations and every time our SAR rescuers  come back they cannot stop talking about the wildness of course.

The canyon has a lot of shady areas which is nice . Mugwort and Sumac, Island Poppy, Sages, buckwheats.

We make a right turn at our first Aid Station on the UCSB bypass trail and start our real first climb of about 100 feet in a 1/2 mile.  We come back to the Central Valley and head south for about 1/2 mile. Run through hundred-year-old giant eucalyptus forest.

When we come out of that forest there will be an aid station.

Now is the Central Valley main climb .

This climb reminds us of the original climb coming out of Scorpion Harbor  on early races or the main climb coming up and  out of Prisoners Harbor on the traditional course.

It’s 1.02 miles up hill.

There are a couple switchbacks that offer shade and some rest. Like the other two courses.

This is the equalizer hill and almost everybody will be walking up this hill.

The elevation gain is 656 feet in roughly one mile.

Here you will be turning around and looking at the Santa Barbara Channel, the Mainland, the Island Fox course, the canyon you came up, the Central Valley and geological and ecological views  that are gonna simply consume you.

This is wilderness so you’re going to see plants, trees, shrubs, and chaparral that you’ve never seen before that are isolated for 1 millions of years out on the island.

For this section of the run, we recommend you practice on the Chumash Trail at Point Mugu State Park when it’s not filled with weekend Warriors or you do the Ray Miller Trail at Point Mugu State Park when it’s not filled or the overlook trail from Sycamore Canyon up.  In any case find a bad ass hill to get your training in.

If you’re a legacy runner then just do any of the training you’ve done before for the last five years of the hills.

So you make it up to the summit, There will be an aid station there to help you out and you’re gonna turn right northbound looking down at Santa Rosa Island and Anacapa on a good day San Nicholas Island, and maybe even San Miguel Island and Santa Barbara Island, hell you might even be able to see Catalina.

You will travel 2.3 miles along the ridge line. Your views looking into the central Valley and towards Santa Rosa and the entire west coastline of Santa Cruz Island is epic.

It’s an undulating ridgeline route up and down very similar to the Navy Road on the traditional Island Fox course. About 361 feet of downhills and double that of relative moderate short uphills.

At the end of that 2.3 miles there will be an Air Station  at which point you will turn right and head back down to the Central Valley.

When you get down to the Central Valley, there will be an aid station and you will be near the UCSB Research Center.

You will once again take the UCSB trail to the main Oak Canyon Trail, and head down to victory back to the beach at prisoners.

You will cross those original three Creek crossings that have water and your feet are going to love them.

Words can barely describe how beautiful this course is.

The Search and Rescue team have logged tens of thousands of miles running and hiking and every one of them say this is a breathtaking course.

When you get back to the red barn at the finish line, we will have the traditional finish festival catered by Aloha steakhouse. We will have massages available great food, libation, and swimming.

So we have been working on this for six months or maybe even longer and it’s been hard for us to not tell you about it because things can change.

Right? We could get an early winter and lots of weather comes in October and maybe we’re back to the original is Island Fox course.

Either way, you are in the Channel Islands National Park on the only running activity there is .

We will have the run, we will have fun and we wanted you to know that our primary course involves a reroute because of the courtesy of the Nature Conservancy and UCSB into the deep wilderness.

It may take us time to get more of the photos, uploaded elevation, charts, etc. but we’re so excited that we feel that little tingling in our bellies like when you’re on a roller coaster at Six Flags or a Class five wave train on the Kern River.

FUN FACT

Annie Montague Alexander

Like us and all other naturalists, she wasn’t perfect.  She clashed at times with the system.

Alexander was not born into a world that supported women paleontologists. She never thought of herself as a scientist, although she was fascinated with geology, paleontology, zoology, and the outdoors. However, she used her financial and business acumen to become actively involved in paleontology and the preservation of nature.

She founded the museum at UC Berkeley and molded the university’s paleontology program into one of the top in the world. 

So be safe, be kind.

Train for life not for a race.

Love Sar ❤️