A Derbyshire woman, Sarah Frith, has named Greenspace - The Cambria Land Trust as her charity when she runs the Big Sur International Marathon on April 27, 2008. To support Sarah on her 26+ mile run, send your check to Greenspace, PO Box 1505, Cambria CA  93428, marked "Sarah Frith/Big Sur Marathon."'

"On my last visit to Cambria I met various members of Greenspace and was really impressed with the work they do and what they have achieved.

The English perception of California seems to be of an idyllic place with no problems and an perfect climate, but I found that many of the ecological challenges that Greenspace faces are ones we share here in England. 

I am an ecologist working in The Peak District of Derbyshire. When I'm not busy with that I enjoy riding and carriage-driving my two horses. 

My husband and I also run an organic smallholding with the aim of returning the pastures to traditional wildflower meadows and raising rare breeds of native cattle.

Just a year ago (at the ripe old age of 48), I decided to take up running and discovered I wasn't as fit as I thought. I struggled to jog even two miles without grabbing hold of a handy tree for support halfway round, while, beetroot-faced, I gasped for breath with legs of concrete that refused to take me any further.

I persevered, my muscles got stronger and can now whiz past that tree and have gone on to compete in 5k and 10k races and a half marathon, all to raise money for various charities. I do my training alone as I like to get up early, and can't find anyone to run with me at 6:00 in the morning--can't think why!

Since visiting California last spring, my dream has been to take part in the Big Sur International Marathon held at the end of April each year. (The photo is of me having a break from running just part of the route last year.)

With a mixture of excitement and trepidation (can I really do this, am I mad?!) I have been training hard all winter. This hasn't been easy as Derbyshire is known for its wild and stormy weather with snow possible from November to March. Also, finding the time to run in a busy life has been a challenge. 

However, the thought of taking part in a race along that beautiful road has kept me going. I stress "taking part" and not "racing" as I intend to run at a steady pace and enjoy every minute of it and not attempt to break any world records."

To help sponsor Sarah, and provide encouragement, send a check to Greenspace, indicating Sarah Frith/Big Sur Marathon’.  Sarah has sponsors in England, too.  We’ll see if we can build some synergy between the two sets of supporters.

The Big Sur International Marathon is a non-profit organization that serves the community by providing a world-class marathon and related fun events that raise money to benefit local charities, while promoting health and fitness.

The moderately difficult 26.2-mile race is from Pheiffer State Park to Rio Road in Carmel. Featuring rolling hills, Big Sur is the largest rural marathon in the world, winding through redwoods, paralleling ranches, and offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

For more information about the race, go to www.bsim.org. For more information about Greenspace, go to www.greenspacecambria.org.

Send your check in support of Sarah to
Greenspace—The Cambria Land Trust
PO Box 1505
Cambria CA  93428