The 47th annual Mt. Baldy Run to the Top will be held on Labor Day, September 3. One of the oldest runs in the west, the race ends at the summit of Mt. Baldy, an elevation of 10,064 feet.

The course starts at the top of Mt. Baldy Road, offering a 4000-foot elevation gain along the approximately 7-mile course to the top of the mountain. Those who make the entire distance will enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of southern California from the highest spot in the San Gabriel Mountains.

The first 75 percent of the run is on dirt roads, as runners make their way across the Devil’s Backbone, and up the winding trail to the top of the mountain.

The top 3 overall finishers, men’s and women’s, will receive awards of a polished stone laced with Lapis Lazuli on a wooden base. The deep blue Lapis stone comes from remnants of an old mine in the Baldy area, the only “verified” occurrence of Lapis Lazuli in North America.  This stone is primarily mined in Afghanistan and Chile.

For those familiar with the AMGEN Tour of California cycling event, it is of interest that the finish line of this event is very close to the starting line of the Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top. Where the cyclists end, the runners begin.

The event is hosted and organized by San Antonio Canyon Town Hall and executed each year by an all-volunteer crew. Proceeds from the race benefit the Mt. Baldy Volunteer Fire Department, West Valley Search and Rescue, Mt. Baldy School and many community projects.

New this year to the Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top is an optional 3-race series organized by RaceReady, an LA-based manufacturer of running apparel. This is the inaugural year for the RaceReady Trail Series. More information is available by visiting racereadytrailseries.com. Runners competing for placement must enter at least 2 of the 3 events and will be awarded points based on finish times.

Pre-registration is $55; race day registration is $70. Additional information about Run-to-the-Top can be found at run2top.com.