After a two-year hiatus, the 58th John Hales Memorial Sand and Strand Run returns to Hermosa Beach on Sunday, Feb. 12. The event is being re-organized by Club Ed Running, a local community running group coached by Ed Avol, a longtime Manhattan Beach resident and runner.
All proceeds go to Project Touch, a non-profit organization working with at-risk teens and families in the South Bay. The annual event was renamed a few years ago, to honor long-time Hermosa Beach runner John Hales, who loved the event and ran in it every year for decades, prior to his death in 2007.
Because of tough economic times, Project Touch was forced to go through a staff contraction and lost the infrastructure, personnel and motivation to help put on the race the last two years.
I have run in many previous Sand and Strand races and was one of many who were discouraged to see the race fall by the wayside,” Avol said. “At Annie Seawright-Newton’s invitation, she, Christian Burke and I met with Dorothy Forba of Project Touch last spring to talk about bringing the race back. I offered to provide the runner/race perspective along with my connection to the local running community if Dorothy would help with the Hermosa Beach contacts. She agreed and we’re off and running.”
Avol’s goal is to re-establish the Sand and Strand as an annual while raising funding for Project Touch.
“Club Ed Running is donating all of our efforts to make the race happen,” Avol said. “We have received some wonderful contributions of service, materials, supplies and monetary donations from several community businesses.”
Club Ed Running will also support the community Sunday when, sporting dark blue uniforms and white logo, the club participates in the Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10K/5K
The Sand and Strand starts and finishes on the sand, at the surf, at the Hermosa Beach Pier. This year, there are five races and six competitions: the long-time favorite 2.5-mile run (one loop of the course, which runs about half on the sand, half on the Strand); the challenging 5-mile run (2 laps of the 2.5 mile course), and three shorter sand dashes for kids under 10 years of age; a 50 meter sand run for those 5 and under; a 100 meter sand run for those 6-8; and a 200 meter sand run for 9-10 year olds.
For the really motivated runners, there is also a Sand King/Sand Queen competition, which requires runners to compete in both the 2.5 and the 5-mile runs (with standings determined by adding up each runner’s 2.5 and 5-mile finish places).
Race fees are $30 for the 2.5 and 5-mile runs, $45 for the combined Sand King/Sand Queen competition, and $15 for the kids’ races (race day fees go up by $5). Event registration is available on-line at Active.com, with mail-in race forms available page 9 of the Easy Reader, at Village Runner, the Hermosa Beach Community Center, and several local stores, or by emailing ed@clubedrunning.com.
