The program began in May 2009, when 12 Pipeworks runners, and former Pipeworks bicycle club members, decided to run in the fund raising event The Relay. The 199 mile race from Calistoga to Santa Cruz helped raise awareness for organ donation. With each racer running 3 different 10k legs, the team finished the race in just under 30 hours.
Scott Clark, a devoted runner, came up with the name Pipeworks Runners because the initials, PR, also stand for personal record. Initially the 14 members from The Relay comprised the group but the numbers soon expanded and so did the races.
In 2010, the group organized their own relay run inspired by the Relay. Scott Clark, the most organized person in the group said, “We could coordinate a run like that and add our own twist!” Ideas were being tossed around, when Sacramento Pipeworks manager Vaughn Medford said, “We could do a run that would tag all the Touchstone gyms. Starting in San Francisco at Mission Cliffs, we could run to Oakland’s Great Western Power Company, Berkeley Ironworks, Concord’s Diablo Rock Gym and then end in Sacramento at Pipeworks”. They laughed at the absurdity. “I have a name already,” said Will Harris, “We’ll call it Touch ‘Em All!” This garnered the biggest snicker. The next day, several hours of pouring over Google Maps produced a rough sketch of the possible route. After driving sections of the route and thinking about it for several weeks, they were convinced that it could be done. On the third scouting trip, they drove the entire 125-mile length with a GPS unit and finally had an official map. Though the spring had been mild, summer means hostile temperatures in the Central Valley. The race would have to happen quickly. Within a couple weeks, a ten-person team was assembled, with seven out of ten being veterans of the prior Calistoga to Santa Cruz relay run.
PRs are regular participants in many of the local races. A few runners do ultra marathons, the 50- 100 miles races and two of them won the lottery to do the Western States this year. The club made a strong showing at the local half-marathon and the team regularly participates in CIM, either running the whole thing or doing it as a relay team.
Myles Smythe and Harlan Reymont, two of the more notable runners, have left a large impression on the club. Myles ran his first 100 mile race recently and Harlan recently started his own trail running event management company. Will Harris also finished his first marathon. The members post many of their events and trip reports on the PR Facebook page.
The runners meet regularly. Check out out their Facebook page for more information.
