The Rotary Club of Hollister continues to grow the 34th annual Mission 10 Race while maintaining the qualities appreciated by the runners who have made it a destination for years. The club will award the top three themed teams in the 5K race and offer race options such as a half-marathon, 10-mile run and 1-mile kids’ fun run on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Teams are getting ready, some with themed costumes (a first this year), and some with T-shirts representing their club colors. Still others will wear the shirts given to runners on the day of the race, which will start and finish in front of the San Juan Mission.
Fran Fitzharris, part owner of Brewery Twenty Five in Hollister, said a 10-person team representing the brewery will line up at the Mission with many others who will run through farm land and into the Anzar Hills before winding back to town.
“This is the first time we’re all getting together in a group,” Fitzharris said, and “it is 50/50, men and women.”
Fran and her husband, Sean, have been running the race for five years. “We’ve always been fans of this race,” she said.
Brewery Twenty Five has been producing beer for several years, first as a hobby and now as a business.
“We have huge local support,” Fran said of the two-year-old business.
Another group that plans to run in the Mission 10 is the South Valley Running Club, according to its president, Manuel Haro. Twenty runners will be dressed in blue to represent the club. Haro, who has been running for eight years himself, encourages folks to run for improved health and fitness. The SVRC provides running coaches and clinics for those over age 18 in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Martin. This group has been preparing with members running every other Saturday in Morgan Hill.
Not only has Jeff Kirk, of Santa Cruz Rotary, run for most of his life, he directs others in the yearly, Santa Cruz Firecracker 10K run.
His motto, “Pain is temporary; glory is forever,” motivates others to see the benefit of running. He’ll demonstrate that during the Mission 10 Race, along with his fellow Rotarians.
The idea for Rotary Club competition came from a conversation between Los Gatos Rotarian Mike Norcia, Kirk, and Hollister Rotarian Bill Tiffany. It evolved into the race being a good-natured competition, from which funds will support local communities.
According to Kirk, the Santa Cruz Rotary Club recently initiated the Rotary Challenge Cup, to be called “The Caldwell Cup,” which will honor Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotarian John Caldwell who passed away on Dec. 16, 2016.
To read about the Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary’s work in supporting the community, go to www.santacruzsunriserotary.org.
For more information about the Mission 10, contact Bill Tiffany, at 831-637-0071 or by email wgtt@sbcglobal.net or markcvivian@aol.com.
Register on the race’s website here or learn more at its Facebook page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.