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California > Safari Park Half Marathon
Escondido, CA • Sunday, May 5, 2013 • Course Map
Nestled just over 30 miles north of San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley area, the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park -- formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park -- saw more than 2,600 runners cross the finish line at its second annual half marathon in 2012, along a mostly flat and fast route that will take runners through both the park itself as well as the country roads just outside the park.
Set for its third annual running in 2013, the event is designed as a fundraiser for a planned new park habitat for tigers, an endangered species threatened with extinction in many parts of the world where they live. The race also puts on display much of what makes the park such an attraction for the roughly 2 million people who visit each year, as sections of the race route will take runners past exhibits for zebras, giraffes, rhinos, antelope and more.
Runners start the race at Westfield North County Mall near Kit Carson, and follow a point-to-point route that takes runners first along San Pasqual Road and past the horse farms and orange groves that lie along the country roads just south of Escondido, followed by stretches past the golf course near the park. The course then makes an entrance into the park, taking runners past several animal exhibits before crossing the finish line inside the park.
The course makes an entrance into the park just after runners pass by the San Pasqual Battlefield Park, taking runners past several animal exhibits -- the park is home to an estimated 3,000 animals, many of which are housed in wide, expansive enclosures -- before heading outside the park once again for a second stretch along the rolling rural roads near the animal park. Next, runners then return to the confines of the Safari Park for the finish inside the park.
Due largely to the park's capacity for visitors, the race is limited to 3,500 runners for the half marathon, and runners will have 3 hours to complete the race. Each finisher will also receive free admission to the park for the remainder of the day.
Scheduled starting time is 6:30 AM, though runners will need to be at the park well in advance of that time to catch the shuttle bus from the park to the race starting line.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located about 30 miles north of downtown San Diego, Escondido typically sees May temperatures that average between 77°F and 54°F, while rainfall is very scarce throughout most of the year, averaging about a quarter of an inch for the month.
On the day of the race (May 5), the average high is 76°F and the average low is 53°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Safari Park Half Marathon
Fees
$75 for the half marathon, if registered by October 31, 2013
$85 between November 1 - December 31
$95 between January 1 - March 15, 2013
$110 between March 16 - May 5
Registration
To reserve your spot in the late spring 2013 running of Escondido's Safari Park Half Marathon, register online at the event website.
Official Race Website
www.sandiegozoo.org
Leave a Comment
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