There are few sporting events that transcend the athletic arena
and provide true meaning for so many, whether world class athletes,
volunteers, or just folks that savor each day they spend on the
planet.
For more than a decade, Barb’s Race has been all of those things
and then some.
The race is named after Healdsburg’s Barbara Recchia, a
three-time cancer survivor, who’s served as a dedicated Vineman
volunteer and race organizer for more than a decade.
The race bearing her name represents the only all women’s 70.3
triathlon distance contested in the world, but more importantly
serves as a symbol of hope and empowerment for thousands of women,
many of which have taken on the challenge to scale physical and
mental barriers.
“I’m overwhelmed by the continuing success of Barb’s Race and
how it’s growing in numbers each year,” noted Recchia. “The
positive comments we get from our participants is truly
gratifying. Although I’m running out of words to describe how much
the race means to me, all I have to do is visit Sutter’s local
Integrative Health and Healing Services, a major beneficiary of the
money we raise, and I am definitely moved by the number of women
with cancer that we are able to support and their heartfelt
appreciation for what we have given them,” she added.
The 11th edition of Barb’s Race will take place in conjunction
with the Full Vineman Triathlon on Saturday, July 30, with a record
500-600 women expected to participate.
The race begins at dawn at Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville with a
1.2-mile swim, continues with a 56-mile bike segment and
transitions into a 13.1-mile half-marathon, finishing up at Windsor
High School.
In its first 10 years, Barb’s Race has raised some $438,000
toward the fight against cancer and early projections have this
year’s event on track to equal the record $90,000 that was
generated last year.
Most of the monies raised have gone to local organizations such
as the Sutter Breast Care Center, which provides services for women
and their families facing the diagnosis or treatment of breast
cancer, and the Commonweal Residential Cancer Support program in
Bolinas, which emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and
spirit.
Although no past winners are entered, the early favorite to
break the tape could be last’s year’s runner-up and cancer
survivor, Chris Desrochers, who has designs on making a run at the
2011 title.
