In the event of a tsunami, do you know where to go to find high ground? Santa Cruz’s first Race the Wave community run, on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 8 to 10 a.m., seeks to answer that question.
Runners will follow an evacuation route from a high-risk coastal location on the Municipal Wharf to higher ground. The race will start on the wharf, proceed along Pacific Avenue through the downtown area and end at Mission Plaza Park, outside the updated maximum tsunami inundation zone.
The Santa Cruz County coastline has been battered by tsunami waves in recent years, with a 2011 event causing millions in damage, mainly in the yacht harbor, and a 2022 event causing flooding in low-lying areas near the bay.
Organized by the City of Santa Cruz as part of National Preparedness Month, the event also features a free emergency preparedness fair at the finish line, where local agencies and community organizations will offer resources and information to encourage 72-hour household readiness.
Race the Wave combines a functional evacuation exercise, a community fun run, and an emergency preparedness fair during National Preparedness Month. This event reinforces Santa Cruz’s promise to tsunami preparedness and hazard mitigation while highlighting the need of shared responsibility to protect public infrastructure, such as the wharf.
Adult registration is $20 and kids 12 and under are $10; click here to sign up.
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