Nighttime Festival of Happy Little Hills

"You can do anything here — the only prerequisite is that it makes you happy.” - Bob Ross

Who has two thumbs, four good toenails, twenty pairs of running shoes, half a brain and goes to sleep dreaming of Skyrunning every night? THIS GUY!!! What about you???

Yes?! Then you will love our Nighttime Festival of Happy Little Hills. You can have happy little accidents all over your quads, glutes and calves but hopefully none in your shorts the first time you see this hill.

“Just let go — and fall like a little waterfall.” - Bob Ross

The course, 20 miles of the Chumash Trail, 1 mile up and 1 mile down. 10x up and down is 12,500 ft. of elevation gain, but don't worry, you'll make up for the slow uphills on the downhills, hahahahaha. No, seriously, hahahahaha.

Aid Station? Bring your own? Use your car, or carry one (your aid bag, not a car) and set it up on the hill. If you can find someone to crew you, wow, you a real optimist.

Pacers? Sure. They are welcome to pace the entire 20 miles.

Poles? Sure, Polish, Irish, Filipinos, you're all welcome.

Prizes? Seriously? What's better than running up and down our happy little hill ten times?

Cutoff? I should have cut myself off at 3 beers before coming up with this idea. Seriously, this may take a lot longer than your typical run. 5 to 9 hours may be the new normal, so plan accordingly.

Date September 17, 2021
Start time: any time of your choosing, suggested starting 5 PM
Start place. Chumash trailhead, just south of Oxnard, CA. (google map)

Link to my Strava of a 4x exploratory run. Took me 3 hours total. 35 min for the first up/down, an hour for the 4th. There is one flat section in the middle that lasts 0.05 miles. Enjoy it.

Since this is a non-supported event, runners may begin on their own at any time. Runs on Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19 will be included in our results. Just make your Strava public. Anyone completing the 10x segment will be counted.

“You need the dark in order to show the light.” - Bob Ross

This is a complete fat-ass style event. We have no permit. You are coming on your own. Why 5 PM suggested start time? Anyone who has been there will tell you how crowded this trail gets. Night time guarantees emptier trails and better parking. You'll get one rep in daylight to see the course, watch a beautiful sunset, and suffer for the next several hours. And you'll want the entire weekend to recover. Happy trails.

Fun fact: The initial leg of the Chumash Trail may be the most amazing footpath in Southern California. It is certainly the oldest. Dating back 7,000 years to when the Chumash traveled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific, the route was in use before the invention of the sail. source