History
1978 – 2012
2012:
An estimated 75 people gathered at the Forward Motion Sports store in downtown Danville on Sunday morning to share memories of previous races, share in some fruit, coffee, and muffins, and run or walk a 5k or 10k. Raffle prizes were give to the persons with the oldest DMR shirt (1981) and to almost everyone who was given a raffle ticket upon registering. Volunteers from the Forward Motion Race Club were stationed along the roads where the Iron Horse trail crosses to make sure that cars were aware of the runners. I have photos of some of the nice people I met — Bill (the 1981 DMR t-shirt owner)and his daughter Kristin, Bob Beaton, and others whose names I do not know. My photos are here. Forward Motion’s photos are here.
***The official 2012 race was canceled earlier this year by the organizer and charitable beneficiary since the first race in 1978, Children’s Hospital of Oakland. But it has just been announced that there will still be a run in Danville on the first Sunday in May!
***4/26/12 UPDATE: Forward Motion Sports has sent out an e-mail announcing an unofficial 5k/10k run for May 6th at 9 AM. Details are in the flyer below. The Fun Run will be on the Iron Horse Trail. No T-shirts or official times, but we’ll still be out there running. We will miss the big event the Devil Mountain Run was, with volunteers, tents, t-shirts, goodies, fans, announcers, and photos. And feel free to make up your own homemade DMR shirt by downloading an image (Free!) from tshirts.DevilMountainRun.com and making an iron-on transfer for applying to your own shirt.
(update – 4/25/12 – The local newspaper has finally published a story on the cancellation of the run – a full 38 days after I had written to them about the cancellation! It says that Marty Breen is hoping to organize an unofficial run from Forward Motion Sports, his Danville store. Here’s the link: http://www.contracostatimes.com/danville/ci_20471217/danvilles-devil-mountain-run-canceled )
4/24/12 UPDATE: An informal and unofficial 35th DMR will probably be held in Danville on May 6! Details will be posted on this site as soon as they are available!
Previous Updates from March 2012:
Some of us wonder if the race can be held even if the original charity is no longer the beneficiary? Why not? Granted, staging a running race may not be the most efficient way to raise money, but it is a healthy activity, a challenge for many, and a lot of fun and people are willing to pay $35 to do it. Can it not be run just for the sheer enjoyment of the race? Could it be held if a different charity were the beneficiary? There may not be enough time to organize an official race for 2012, but perhaps we can bring it back for May 5, 2013. The $50,000 a year that the race raised for Children’s Hospital may not have been enough money for their fundraising executives, but lots of local charities would be thrilled with such a donation.
The Forward Motion Race Club is looking to help us have a run that morning of May 6. If the race is indeed canceled, one plan is that some of us will gather at the original starting line of the 1978 race at 8 AM on May 6, 2012 and run the original 10K course* in a farewell tribute to a great tradition. Or perhaps we will begin at the Forward Motion Sports store at 432 Hartz Avenue in Danville. We can remember long-time runners like Danville Councilman Mike Shimansky, who had said he ran every race but the first one until he passed away on September 15, 2009. And Alamo’s Jack Riley, whose early Devil Mountain Runs led to an amazing career as a Masters triathlete and an activist for prostate cancer awareness until he died in July 1998. And of course, Sue Orvik, who did not let cancer stop her quest to participate in all of the races. More information on an unofficial run will be posted as soon as I learn more. is posted above.
*(The old course begins at the Town and Country Shopping Center and runs through the neighborhoods of Greenbrook and concludes by running down Diablo Road and then up Hartz Avenue — a far more interesting course than the out-and-back SRV Blvd/Iron Horse Trail course that has been in place since 2000.)
May 2011
Photos from the 2011 Workday Devil Mountain Run
There is a nice article in the Summer 2008 edition of Children’s Hospital’s “Handprints” about the origins of the race. In 1978, local moms Nancy Lewis, Jacquie Graham and Mary Ann Snodgrass decided to capitalize on the emerging 1970’s jogging boom to raise funds for the Rowan Branch of Children’s Hospital in Oakland, Over the course of 34 races, well over $1.5 Million was raised for the hospital.
DMR T-Shirts & History – DMR T-Shirts & History – Find old t-shirts, race results, news articles and photos at DevilMountainRun.net
Devil Mountain Run history graciously provided by John B. Ramsey
