Description
A one of a kind combination of a gorgeous island retreat, trail running, and intimate community. Sucia is known as the jewel of San Juan Islands - it's home to tide pools aplenty, remote beaches, abundant sea life and sunsets that defy description. We're collaborating to bring together a group of women of color interested in, and at all levels of experience in trail running for a weekend of group runs, intimate discussions about inclusivity, community-focused workshops, skills clinics, and an overall supportive weekend of fun.
Add to that delicious meals, a quiver of paddle boards, stunning island sunsets, and life long friendships - it's a guaranteed incredible weekend.
Course Overview
Friday, Day 1
Boat Taxi to Sucia
We’ll meet at 1:30pm for a 2:00 departure from Island Express Charters in Anacortes, WA. It’s a one hour sail to the beach at Shallow Bay and a short walk to the group camp which will be the epicenter of the weekend. Aspire will serve dinner, libations, and stoke the bonfire, while Trail Mixed leads a conversation on diversity in the sport and personal athletic goals.
Saturday, Day 2
5-20 Miles of Trail Running + Paddle Sports
Sucia is a small island with a network of roughly 12 miles of trails that extend to each of the island’s three rocky fingers. While this isn’t a lot of trail, given the out-and-back style of the terrain, one can easily rack up 15-20 miles exploring every corner of the island. With little elevation gain, the most challenging aspect of running on Sucia is the many distractions of tide pools, abundant wildlife, epic views of surrounding islands, and trails that lead to some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. We’ll kick off with breakfast and a running skills clinic, chat about trail safety, and spend the day exploring the trails on foot before a sunset yoga session and open mic. We'll have paddle boards and other water gear that will be available all weekend for exploring the shores and shoals of Sucia and enjoying the island life.
Sunday, Day 3
Morning Run/Paddle, Boat Taxi Home
After breakfast, we'll enjoy a long morning of runs, paddles, and beach time before eating lunch and breaking camp. Our return cruise home will depart at 3:00 pm for a 4:00pm arrival in Anacortes.
Accommodations
Our Sucia basecamp will be staged out of the Shallow Bay group campground and group shelter. Aspire will provide a lively camp and amenities for a remote but comfortable “glamp” style experience.
Transportation
Sucia Island is not serviced by any public ferry service. Private boats are the only way to access the island. Aspire has chartered a water taxi that will transport runners and equipment between Anacortes and Sucia Island.
About Aspire
Aspire organizes single and multi-day running adventures in backcountry and wilderness terrain. We pair logistical and emergency support with delicious meals for a unique and memorable running experience. More info about our project is available at: www.AspireAdventureRunning.com
About Trail Mixed
We created Trail Mixed to increase the diversity of women in outdoor sports through education, inspiration, access, and mentorship.
Our core purpose is increasing access to outdoor sports for women of color. We believe that approaching new outdoor sports and later, advancing at them, relies on a few things: inspiration from people we can relate to, access to education and gear, safe community spaces, and motivation and guidance from mentors who care. The outdoors is for everyone, and our goal is to help create safe spaces to learn, grow, bond, and excel for women of color - it starts here.
Join us as we work together to increase connections, community and opportunities for women of color in outdoor adventure sports. Join our movement and help us #mixupthetrails!
Event's current local time: 2:00 PM PT
