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2007 Photos

The Tilden Tough Ten mile race is a scenic run along the crest of the Berkeley Hills. The start/finish is at the Inspiration Point parking lot. The out-and-back race course follows Nimitz Way, a wide paved path, for four miles, then continues for a mile on the Mezue Trail to the turnaround. There are aid stations at 2 miles, 3.5 miles, 5 miles, 6.5 miles and 8 miles.

Nimitz Way. (Click picture to enlarge)

The first two miles of Nimitz Way wind through a wooded area. After that, you are on the ridge, in grasslands, and the view opens up on all sides. EBMUD watershed falls off immediately to the east; you look down on San Pablo and Briones reservoirs; Mount Diablo dominates the skyline. To the north, Carquinez Straits and Mount Saint Helena are visible. The Golden Gate and Mount Tamalpais complete the panorama. You forget you are minutes from civilization.

Hill towards end of Nimitz Way.

This is a challenging run. The last half-mile of Nimitz Way is a long slow hill. There is a shorter, but extremely steep hill on the Mezue trail.

The peak that the last part of Nimitz Way winds around recalls some history, and the reason that this paved trail exists. Atop it are concrete foundations - the sole remnants of a Nike missile site that was intended to protect the Bay Area from Russian bombers flying in over the Golden Gate. Sites SF-08 and SF-09 along the ridge are gone, but the road remains - swords beaten into asphalt.

Start of dirt trail, near Nike Missile Site.

Across the Bay, on race morning, tens of thousands of people will be jostling one another at the mega event. Here, instead, you may find yourself running next to cows, grazing next to the trail. Unlike the masses in San Francisco, they are no hindrance at all, and introduce a unique note to the race.

Join Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders and a lot of other enthusiastic runners (but not too many) at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2007 for the twentieth running of the Tilden Tough Ten miler.

And, just think how cool you would be wearing a sub-80 (or 70, or 60) Tilden Tough Ten T-shirt.

Directions to start: Take Orinda exit from highway 24. Proceed north for about two miles on Camino Pablo. Left at traffic light for Wildcat Canyon Road. Continue about two miles to Inspiration Point parking lot on the right side of the road.