Are you looking for a great winter marathon? Are you thinking about how to turn it in to a vacation for the whole family? I know you are because this is the game we runners play to get everyone excited about our training. Enter a trip to Redding, California the sunniest place in Cali.
As I’m not one to recommend anything to our athletes without doing some research, we took a long weekend to discover the area and run parts of the course.
Good news, it’s fabulous.
Better news, there are trails galore (I’ll tell you about some).
Best news, it’s got something for everyone and in a laid back, no rush kind of way.
Redding, California Trails
Ok before we get to the marathon, let’s just talk about this as a running and biking destination in general. Did you know that this is where Sara Hall lived and trained for many years?
In fact, there are 220 miles of trails here!
And so many waterfalls to chose from! Who doesn’t love that.
We tested out quite a few of them during our trip and the good news is there are options for every level whether you want to run, bike or hike.
Sacramento River Trail (Paved)
Over 17 miles of paved path run along the river from the Shasta Dam right to the key spots downtown like the Sundial Bridge. Which is exactly why you’ll see it mentioned as part of the marathon!
Not only was it pretty being near the water, but in May the flowers. OH THE FLOWERS. I was in heaven just taking it all in and early in the day you’ll get shade to make any summer temps pretty darn pleasant.
Swasey
The mountain bikers absolutely love this area and David was no exception. While you’ll be climbing, none of it is too aggressive and you’ll also get some great flow.
For a runner these can be a tad more technical and maybe not as interesting as the FB trail, but I also only covered a teeny tiny portion of what’s available. Definitely plenty here to keep you engaged for a long time.
We rented his e-mountain bike from Redding Adventure Hub. Obviously the folks there are also bikers who know the area and can give you lots of ideas. They also swapped out pedals so he could use his own and while he brought a helmet, you can also rent them.
FB Trail
This was another recommendation from the bike shop. While it was a super easy ride for David, it was a stellar trail run for both of us another day.
A few little technical spots, but mostly it’s flowing single track alongside the river. And man do those views make it absolutely ok if you need to walk for a second to catch your breath.
For bikers this is a great long ride day. Start in town and follow the path all the way to the Dam. Especially with an ebike it’s going to fly and really give you great views.
Boulder Creek Trail
We heard about a lot of waterfalls around Redding. In the end, the one that we decided to hike to was Boulder Creek Falls…I mean it felt like it was calling to us Colorado folks.
Because we’d been doing so many other miles, we opted to drive to the Mill Creek trailhead. WARNING it is narrow, steep and was probably the most concerning part of my trip. Ha. Have four wheel drive.
Once there, it was a really enjoyable 2 mile round trip hike where we encountered no less than 300 butterflies! They were just all over and that was an unexpected moment of joy.
Reaching the waterfall we were rewarded with a drop in temps and a stunning site. Pack a bag with a towel and snacks so you can stop and really enjoy it.
Redding Marathon
Is this a big city major marathon, nope. But for a lot of you that’s going to be the draw and why for a small race such a high % end up with a Boston Qualifying time.
It’s a net downhill course of 1326 feet. My Colorado brain heard sea level and net downhill, very exciting.
Don’t let that fool you, it also has a slow steady climb from miles 10-14, but the pay off is a long downhill and flat finish. PLUS, the average start line temp is 45, which we know is ideal for PR performances.
Without all the extra stuff going on, you’ll be able to relax pre-race and take the shuttle to the start of this point to point course at a reasonable time!! It doesn’t start until 8am!
You could also do it as a Marathon Relay or enjoy the 5K.
Right now the race is around 200 people, but I would be shocked to see it not keep growing. With more races selling out and so few with amazing winter temps, this seems like a no brainer. The Redding airport also makes it extremely easy to fly in and out.
Again, all the things to reduce stress are key to those big race day performances!
I already heard from a couple of you on social that you’ve done the Redding marathon and LOVED it. And that was before I ever even mentioned it!
What to Do in Redding?
Great, so you’ve decided on the race and now your family wants to know, what about us? Well we already told you about a bunch of trails to hike or bike, but let’s look at some other options.
David and I found plenty to enjoy, but what really surprised us was how many big concerts and acts come through this town!
There were posters for Sam Hunt and Alabama and Jane Lynch just to name a few of the acts in the weeks after we left. During our time, they happened to have Glowing Wild set up at the Botanical Gardens and it was epic.
Shasta Dam
The Redding Marathon actually starts at the dam and then you’ll run along the Sacramento River Trail shown above. It’s a great paved path that means no worries about cars, being close to the water is BEAUTIFUL and obviously how you get that great downhill.
Of course starting here, means you’ll miss out on the tour. So definitely comeback with the family to really checkout all the information and take time to look around. It’s just an interesting place to see and take in!
For those who want to simply run like moi, reminder that you can’t cross the Shasta Dam until 6AM to get to trailheads on the other side.
Glowing Wild
Ok this is kind of unfair because I know it’s not there ALL the time, but there are so many events happening around town. I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating.
Glowing Wild was absolutely so much more than we expected. If you miss it in Redding, keep your eyes peeled for another location. It’s interactive and fascinating at all ages.
They also have a Food Truck park with live music, the Civic Park that hosts events from music to the annual rodeo and more. Definitely take a look at the events calendar and you’ll find some interesting things all year.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
An easy place to stay for your visit is the Sheraton Redding. It’s located right next to the Civic Park and the Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Plus it’s just 1 mile from the little downtown which has clearly been revitalized and is taking on some new shops and restaurants.
Turtle Bay is absolutely for the kiddos. Tons of playgrounds (I may have hoped on a zipline) and tons of birds. You can go inside the parrot house where they are bouncing about, super active and ready to eat from a nectar cup if you buy one!
Dine Out
Literally! We ate outside pretty much everywhere we went, even in the warm summer temps with fans it was so enjoyable. The air was clean, the views were pretty and the food was fabulous.
Branch House is located next to the Sheraton and Sundial Bridge. While it seems like a little cafe, we actually had incredible salmon tacos and one of David’s favorite burgers.
Downtown checkout From the Hearth for insanely delicious cookies, right alongside some lighter fare like a big salad or sandwich. In the same Market Square, you’ll also find Cinder Woodfired pizza, which has some unique flavors and we agreed was also DELICIOUS. At a 10inch size, you can get your own and swap bites.
If that’s not enough, then don’t forget The Park. This is a food truck court that also has live music.
It was such a fun gathering spot. You could really see the community come out and of course with 8 different trucks you have food options galore to satisfy everyone in the group (even those who just want a giant corndog).
Good golly, some how with all of that I didn’t even talk about two of the things you’ve probably seen on every website which is the Sundial Bridge and Whiskeytown Lake! The bridge is really fun to see and right at Turtle Bay, so no need for an extra trip.
It was 105 during our trip, so we absolutely joined the entire town at the lake! Renting a kayak and paddleboard to hang out on the lake was really the perfect way to spend an afternoon after a morning on the trails.
Have you been to Redding?
Questions about the race? Other things to do?
Looking for more tips?
- How to Train for a Downhill Race
- Top Boston Qualifying Marathons
- Fastest Marathon Finishing Times
- Training Plan for a 4 Hour Marathon
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