One of my favorite parts of leading a run club is watching people win. I’m not talking about coming in first in a race or winning their age group (although that’s fun too.) I’m talking about winning the fight between wanting to give up and wanting to keep going.  

We often welcome new runners to the club, and their journey typically begins with taking it easy, covering just a few miles at a time. The beginning is rarely simple; as natural as running may seem, it often feels quite UN-natural at first. These initial struggles are common, but what stands out is the perseverance shown by our runners. They continue to show up, week after week, pushing through discomfort and uncertainty.

It’s not just our new runners who face these hurdles; every member of our club experiences struggles, tough races and occasional setbacks.

And yet, looking back on these last few months, despite all these challenges, we have had so many wins! 

We have won the fight between taking the easy route and running the extra distance, we have crushed any negative thoughts about not finishing what we started, battled to the end of our long runs and exceptionally hard races, and been there to support each other in the process.

It makes me incredibly proud of this team, and I am truly excited to see all that we will accomplish together in the future.

Fall weather is here and while I know we’re all excited for soup and warm bread weather, I’m not ready! I personally battle between getting out of bed on a crispy, cool morning and getting to my run. Hopefully the rest of October will bring us a few more warm days before we make that downhill slide into the holiday season and the last few months of 2025.

With Fall comes our annual trail run. The Tierra Redonda Mountain Trail Run will be held the weekend of November 14^th-November 16^th. This is our 4^th year hosting this event with All We Do Is Run and are looking forward to a weekend celebrating running, friends and family, and being outside enjoying the beauty of north San Luis Obispo County.

I’ve put together a Q&A for this event with questions I’m often asked. Please feel free to reach out if you have more.  We would love to see you there. You won’t want to miss it!

Tierra Redonda Mountain Trail Run Q&A

Do I have to run the entire time?

The biggest question or comment I get when I mention this race is “I don’t know how you can run for 24 hours!” My response is “Well, you don’t.”  I mean, you could if you really wanted to, but most runners will take breaks in between 10k loops. And when I say runners, what I mean is some will run, but a good majoritywillpower hike or walk throughout the entire course.

The first year I ran the 24 hour event I started on Saturday at 8am with the gun and did two loops. I stopped for lunch, ran (and won!) the beer mile with Joe, then took a nap (cause, you know, beer mile…) I ran another loop in the afternoon and got back just in time for Joe to start up the BBQ. I power hiked one more loop in the afternoon and one more after dark. I came back to camp, slept most of the night and got up early in the morning for one more sunrise loop beforetime was up on Sunday. 

The night loops are incredible. So peaceful and serene, and gives the course an entirely different feel. And you can always drag a friend out there with you if you don’t want to go alone.

What is the course like?

The course is a mix of flat fire road, with rolling hills in cattle pastures and single-track trail halfway up Tierra Redonda Mountain in the oak trees and manzanita. There is some poison oak, but you’ll typically only encounter it if you go well off trail. The trail itself is not technical other than a few short sections that can get steep and can be rocky. Each loop is about 580’ of climbing.

Are there bears?

There are no bears but we do have mountain lions. Although, in the entire time I’ve lived on the ranch (nearly 28 years) I have never seen one in person. We do see a lot of pigs and wild turkeys though and they tend to head the other direction when they see or hear us coming.

Where does the money from this event go?

A percentage of each race entry goes back to Templeton Run Club. This event is the main fundraising event for the club and goes towards high school scholarships for local cross country andtrack athletes, as well as contributing towards annual membership and insurance fees with the RRCA and USATF.

Do I get a discount for being a run club member?

Yes! Templeton Run Club members can use the code TRC25 to get $25 off any of the Tierra Redonda Trail run races or the Last One Standing event.

I’m running City to the Sea on Sunday? Is there anything I can do?

Yes! The 5k run would make a perfect shakeout run or walk before the half marathon on Sunday.  Or, if you want to conserve your energy we would love to have help at the aid stations or race check in!!

What distances are offered?

There is a 5k, 10k, 20k, 24 hour and 48 hour run.  It is a loop course. The 5k is half a loop, the 10k is the full loop, the 20k two loops, and the 24 and 48 hour as many loops as you can get in within your time frame.

What kind of race swag do you get?

Each participant will receive a race t-shirt and an aidstation stocked with Hammer nutrition. Runners that finish 100 miles this year will receive a custom belt buckle. And enough bragging rights to last until next year.

Where the heck is Bradley?

The Smith Ranch is located in Bradley, 30 minutes west of Paso Robles and 45 minutes north west of Templeton.  The ranch is right smackin between Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County and San Antonio Lake in Monterey County. The Thomas James Lynch and Smith family established this cattle ranch in the late 1800s, and it remains operational today.  

But it’s so far out there, can we camp?

One of the best parts of this event is camping out at the ranch and truly experiencing this trail racing weekend. There is a campfire burning day and night with friends, music and games throughout the day. RV’s, mobile homes, travel trailers, and car/ tent camping is all welcome. There is plenty of room to turn big rigs around and tons of space to be as close or as far away from the action as you want.

There is a $10 fee per night forcamping. The Smith Ranch does not receive compensation for this event, so this small fee helps pay for things like fuel for the chainsaws to cut wood for the bonfire and gas for the ATVs to help with course set up and take down.

What if I forgot something and I’m already out there?

Oak Hill Market is 15 minutes from the ranch and has a very nice grocery store, deli and meat counter as well as a decently priced gas station that has diesel and propane.

What is the weather like?

Last year the weather was perfect. Warm and sunny 70’s during the day and down into the low 40’s at night. The year before was a rainy muddy mess. And year before that was also perfect temps during the day and cool at night! If it rains, we’ll be ready. If it doesn’t, we’ll be ready.

What is the Last One Standing Event?

This is a new event that will start on Friday, November 14^th at 8 am. Participants will run or walk a 4-mile loop until only one person is standing. You have one hour to finish the loop once it has started. If you finish the loop within the hour, you may start the next hour’s loop provided you are in the start corral when the next hour starts. If you do not finish within the hour, you are out of the race. The winner will take home a trophy western style belt buckle. You can register and find more information at ultrasignup.com.

What if I have more questions?

You can check out the race registration site for more information at ultrasignup.com or feel free to email me.

Last but not least, SAVE THE DATE for our Templeton Run Club holiday runs. We’ll host our annual Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving on November 27th from Templeton Park. We’ll also be running our Ugly Christmas Sweater 5k Run in Paso Robles the night of December 4th. Medals will be awarded to our top 3 Ugly Sweaters!

Happy Running!

Rosalie Smith
RRCA Level I/ USATF Level II Certified Coach

rosaliesmith@templetonrunclub.com

Templeton Run Club

PO Box 522

Templeton, Ca. 93465