As the month of June draws to a close, Mount Shasta gears up for its biggest day of the year: the Fourth of July. More than 5,000 people are expected to flock into town for the Mountain Runner’s Fourth of July Fun Run & Walk, which is now celebrating its 30th year.
Always a lively event, a stroll through the 2 mile walk this year promises to be more exciting than ever, with entertainment surrounding you wherever you go. Often described as “a parade in reverse – with the crowd parading by the entertainment – participants in this year’s event will be joined by a virtual walking circus said Mountain Runner Paula Siems.
“We’re going to have hula hoopers, contortionists, clowns, opera singers, body paint artists, jugglers, acrobats, and other characters out among the crowd,” Siems said. “It will be a truly interactive experience.”
These roving entertainers will add to the numerous musical acts, dancers and other performers that traditionally line the race course, as well as the delicious culinary offerings of 25 local restaurants.
Not only is the Fun Run a day of much anticipated festivities for locals and out-of-towners alike, it’s also a lucrative fundraiser which is put on entirely by the Mountain Runners – a local volunteer group founded by Dr. Jim Parker.
Parker came up with the footrace idea in 1979 as he was driving home from a San Francisco seminar entitled “How to Make a Difference in Your Community.”
“I was just starting my practice, and the running boom was just beginning,” Parker says. “It just made sense to start an event that was unique in that it made money to pour back into the community... The concept of having the two mile walk as well as a run made the event family friendly.”
Two hundred and fifty runners attended the first Mount Shasta Fourth of July Fun Run & Walk in 1980.  Over the next 29 years, even Parker couldn’t have predicted how his idea would blossom into a full-blown tradition.
From his enthusiastic “Good morning Mount Shasta!” race day wake up call over the sound system at 6 a.m. sharp, to the goosebump-inducing Taiko drumming and the Siskiyou Longrifle Association’s deafening signal to begin, race regulars can rely on these familiar Independence Day rituals.
“The course hasn’t changed much,” Parker says. “It has always been a first class foot race on a fast, flat and beautiful course at the base of the mountain. [The event] captures people’s imaginations... It’s almost like a Norman Rockwell painting.”
Indeed, the race has made a transformation in downtown Mount Shasta. Among the many beautification projects completed with Mountain Runner funding are the 350 beautifully lighted trees lining the boulevard, the Castle Street mini park, numerous benches and planters, old fashioned street lighting, the downtown clock and thermometer, the Lake Street median, the city plaza in front of the police department and most recently the lights that illuminate the peace mural behind the Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Bureau.
“Each year, the race brings in $30,000 to $50,000 that is funnelled back into the community,” Parker said. “It’s all made possible by amazing veteran volunteers, who make my life so much easier, as well as generous sponsors... Mount Shasta has the best community I’ve ever experienced. The support they give the race is absolutely incredible.”
Thanks to the cooperation of the local police department and fire departments, Highway Patrol, CalTrans and the railroad, downtown Mount Shasta is blocked off to all traffic during the entire Fourth of July morning as racers make their way through the scenic course.
Local businesses donate an astounding array of prizes for the drawing after the race. This year, prizes include an ipod from John's Satellite, Mt. Shasta pendant from Jon Thomas Fine Jewelery, a TV from Ron's Furniture, a snowboard from the Sportsmen's Den, a framed photograph of Mt. Shasta by Kevin Lahey Photography, and 2 Season Ski Passes at Mt. Shasta Ski Park, among a multitude of tohers.
The most coveted prize, of course, is the car ­– this year a Nissan Versa – which is sponsored by Redding’s Shasta Nissan Subaru.
“Mercy Medical Center has been with us from the beginning,” Parker says. “Four Rivers Broadcasting, the Mount Shasta Herald, Rays Food Place, Coca Cola, Dannon, General Produce, Northland Cable and many of the local doctors are some of the others who are great supporters of the race.”
Each year, more of the community becomes involved, and each year the race is a little different as the event grows. “It’s truly a surreal experience,” Parker says with a smile. “What better way to celebrate our nation’s birthday? People see and feel the spirit of giving back to the community, and that’s what makes it so special, I think.”