Running is for the Birds Beginnings

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands is one of the few remaining saltwater marshes for migratory birds on the Pacific flyway. In the 1970s developers wanted to build a marina and 5000+ homes and bring an end to this natural area. My husband Roger and I joined a small group of individuals (aka Amigos de Bolsa Chica) dedicated to preserving the wetlands. The legal rights to this tidal property were in question but the prospect for a legal battle with the deep-pocket developers and oil companies was not encouraging.

The critical need was for funds to argue the case for preserving the wetlands. Roger and I attended an Amigos Board of Directors meeting with an idea. Because of the beginning of the popularity of 10K Runs, I proposed a 5K/10K fun run along the beach, the receipts of which would be used for legal expenses. Within five minutes, Roger suggested the name for the race as “Running is for the Birds.” The Board agreed and said go for it. We had never had anything to do with a 10K Run, so Roger ran in one in Long Beach to see what it was like and how it was set up. In 1978, Roger, myself and a small number of volunteers began what became a 27-year history of yearly fun runs, bringing in much-needed revenue.

The race became more popular each year. It felt wonderful to be part of this event. “Running is for the Birds” first year saw 143 registrants. In the 1990s the number of runners was over 1600. That high count year brought about a problem right before the race. We had not ordered enough race numbers for the runners, and we had to head out to stores the evening before to get large cards and safety pins to make up the difference.

One year it was a very hot day. We ran out of bottled water even before the race began. The water fountains had been turned off at the beach, so what to do? That meant having someone head out to purchase more water for the race’s end. At the 10th year of the race, I thought about how to display the 10 years of the race t-shirts. Why not hang them on a cord which would be used as the start and finish line? The participants liked it and we continued to add another shirt each year until we had 27 hanging. Another year we had to unexpectedly detour the racecourse around a crime scene at the beach. Runners were forewarned that the exact distance may not be exactly 10K.

Although Roger and I moved to San Diego in 1983, we returned each year to be key members of the race day team.