nisene marks

Sandman Triathlon Returns for Its 30th Year

April 8, 2015 by Seb Frey

The Sandman Triathlon returns for its 30th year this summer! The Sandman Triathlon is a fundraiser for the Santa Cruz State Parks Lifeguard Association held at Seacliff State Beach. This year, the race will be held on Sunday, August 2nd at 8:00 AM.

The Sandman Triathlon is a USAT sanctioned event. It begins with a .75-kilometer ocean swim around the historic SS Palo Alto, followed by a spectacular 13-mile bike ride through redwood forests, Seascape and Rio Del Mar. To top it all off, the race finishes with an strenuous four mile run on the beach.

The Sandman is a sprint triathlon and designed to be a super fun and a family friendly event, it is the perfect triathlon experience for athletes that are new to the sport.

Registration for the 2015 Sandman is now open on Active.com. Athletes can sign up for the sprint triathlon, a duathlon or the one-mile kids’ fun run.

The Sandman Triathlon is one of Santa Cruz County’s oldest triathlons. Its inaugural race occurred way back in 1986 in the infancy of the sport. The Sandman was originally conceived by the Santa Cruz State Parks Lifeguard Association to be a positive Aptos community event that would raise funds for the association, who supports the junior lifeguard and lifeguard operations in Santa Cruz, including providing scholarships for kids from low-income families that otherwise could not afford the cost of the 4-week program. Over the past three decades, thousands of dollars have been raised for the Santa Cruz State Lifeguard Association to help provide high-quality water safety education to hundreds of Santa Cruz County youth.

Run For Pie Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot

October 27, 2014 by Seb Frey

Fleet Feet Sports is once again hosting the 3rd Annual Run For Pie Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot. The race begins on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 27th at 9:00 AM at Aptos Village Park, and goes through the Forest of Nisene Marks. As is the tradition, registered runners will be served mini pumpkin pies at the finish line.

There’s actually two races in one: a 10K run, and a 5K Run/Walk, and the proceeds from the race will go to support the Youth Resource Bank of Santa Cruz County. Early bird registration (prior to October 31st) is $35 for the 5K and $45 for the 10K race, after that it’s $5 more. Don’t want to sign up – the race sold out two weeks early last year!

This year’s sponsors include New Balance shoes, Kennolyn Camps, Seascape Foods, Norma Jean’s Coffee, and several more.

Nisene Marks Trail Work Day on October 12

October 7, 2014 by Seb Frey

The Advocates for the Forest of Nisene Marks invite you to a special trail work day Sunday October 12, 9:30-12:30. Volunteers should meet at the park entrance kiosk at 9:30 for coffee and treats.

Each year State Parks requires the Advocates who build and install the bridges each spring to remove them by October 15, prior to the rainy season. They need extra people to be able to remove and store the two seasonal bridges. Come help for the whole time, or just an hour.

The Advocates is a non profit to fill in the gaps of trail maintenance, trail building, safety and general health of the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. They have done a lot to their website to make it a resource for park users. The site provides abundant trail info as well as info on the park’s flora and fauna. Please visit www.advocatesfnm.org

They organize, in conjunction with State Park Rangers, trail work each 3rd Sunday of the month 9:30-early afternoon and always need volunteers. You don’t have to have special skills, just come lend a hand! Feels great to give back to this beautiful park and spend a few hours outdoors making a contribution!

Nisene Marks Marathon 2014

May 20, 2014 by Seb Frey

The Nisene Marks Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, June 7th 2014. The Nisene Marks Marathon first got started in 1999, and has gone on almost every year since then. It’s actually three races in one – a half marathon, a full marathon, and a 5K race. The full marathon starts at 8:00 AM, the half marathon kicks off at 8:30 AM, and the 5K starts at 9:00 AM.

The race is hosted by the Santa Cruz Host Lions Club and the Santa Cruz Track Club.