The San Dieguito River Park, which offers more than 65 miles of trails for visitors, has been host to numerous events this year that have brought thousands of users into the Open Space Preserves to enjoy outdoor activity and the beauty that the trails provide. The Park hosted 5K’s, 10k’s, Half Marathons, Marathons and even an Ultra Marathon 50 mile run. These events have become more and more popular over the years and most events sell out. In addition to trail running, the River Park also hosted mountain bike and other cycling events in the park, including the Belgium Waffle Ride. This 135-mile ride has become known across the country as one of the hardest one day bike rides around, and for the hundreds of people that take on challenging course it’s a great achievement and a chance to make lifelong friends. The Park also hosts a Thursday evening mountain bike race in the summer known as the Quick ‘n’ Dirty. This series brings out riders and families after work and school to help burn off extra energy and get people ready for weekend activities.

By hosting these events, the San Dieguito River Park brings residents into the park that may normally not. They get to experience the park in a whole new way and gives rangers and regulars a chance to talk to them and educate even more people to the need of contiguous wildlife corridors in an ever expanding city.