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Community ultra-marathon will bridge Altadena to Pacific Palisades, raise funds for wildfire relief

May 5, 2025

$50k and 50 kilometers: In short, that’s the goal behind a community event on Saturday, May 10 that challenges participants to take part in a run that stretches from Altadena to Pacific Palisades to raise money for the two communities hit the hardest during January’s fires.

Dubbed “Altadena to the Palisades: An Ultra-Marathon Relay,” the run is spearheaded by members of Silverlake Track Club, aa Los Angeles-based community running club, and will kick off at 7 a.m. at Good Neighbor Bar in Altadena.

The event – which organizers stressed is not a race, but rather an unofficial community run – can be completed in three ways: Runners can participate as a relay team of up to five people, run the full 50k as an individual or run whatever segment of the course suits them.

It’s about bringing L.A. together, Silverlake Track Club founder Howie Goldklang said, and he wants participants there in whatever capacity they feel comfortable with.

The Silverlake Track Club meets up for their weekly long run in preparation for the Altadena to the Palisades Ultra-Marathon event that they will be hosting next week on May 10th, 2025. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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Goldklang said his run club is known for its informal events – “weird runs that bring people together,” as he put it – and members had been toying with the idea of an event that challenged runners to conquer all of the region’s major boulevards.

“Then, unfortunately, the fires happened,” Goldklang said. “And one of those runners just took the idea and suggested that we do it now as a fundraiser.”

That runner, Kevin van ‘t Klooster, along with fellow club-member Ellen Evangelides, got to work on a route and were pleased to discover that the two communities were roughly 50 kilometers apart – a popular distance for an ultra-marathon.

“The idea behind this run is that we want to show folks in LA that you can connect Altadena and the Palisades in a day of running,” van ‘t Klooster said. “And that, actually, these two parts of town are more connected than folks may think.”

All event proceeds will go to Altadena Mountain Rescue, Altadena Public Library, Santa Monica Mountain Fund and Palisades Fire Domestic Workers Fund. So far, the event has roughly 500 sign-ups and has raised around $25,000, according to Goldklang.

The run will kick off on May 10 at 7 a.m. at Altadena’s Good Neighbor Bar, before heading southwest toward Eagle Rock. It’ll then weave through the city until it ends at Pacific Palisades’ Will Rogers Beach for a finish-line celebration.

Race checkpoints/ legs:

Start: Good Neighbor Bar (Altadena), 7 a.m.
10K: Found Coffee LA (Eagle Rock)
20K: Makisupa (Silverlake)
30K: Superba (Hollywood)
40K: Tuscan Son (Santa Monica)
50K: Will Rogers Beach (Pacific Palisades)

Van ‘t Klooster said he envisions more run events for fire relief in the future after Saturday’s event, perhaps some that collaborate across the area’s various run clubs.

“It’s really important that we all stay committed,” he said. “Just like a marathon, right? You hit the 20-mile mark and your legs feel tired, and that’s when you need to keep pushing on. So, we don’t expect this to be a one-off.”

Event admission is $50 per runner. Non-runners can still donate, or volunteer and cheer at an aid station. You can sign up for the race and donate at http://bit.ly/3Z52RvR, or find more information about the event on the run club’s Instagram, @silverlaketrackclub.

Community ultra-marathon will bridge Altadena to Pacific Palisades, raise funds for wildfire relief Orange County Register

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Community ultra-marathon will bridge Altadena to Pacific Palisades, raise funds for wildfire relief

Race checkpoints/ legs:

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