Start time: 8:30am

The day begins with a special event--a breakfast hosted by the City of Walnut Creek, in collaboration with Save Mount Diablo. Free food! (We're going to need it.) Come to Picnic Area #10 in Heather Farm Park. We'll aim to hit the road around 9am.

Estimated arrival time: 7pm

We conclude at Antioch / Worth Shaw Community Park. Note that this arrival time is a very rough estimate and will be reevaluated once participants are finalized. Timing will be significantly influenced by how many participants are running or hiking.

Event: Breakfast at 8:30am, hosted by the City of Walnut Creek and joined by Save Mount Diablo - Picnic Area #10 in Heather Farm Park.

Eat well, because the biggest challenge of the relay's opening week lies ahead: the ascent of Mount Diablo. From Heather Farms, it's 14 miles to the top, and along the way we'll climb roughly 3600 feet! The descent that follows is immediate, ultimately giving back nearly 3300 of those hard-earned feet, looping through Prospectors Gap, along Deer Flat Creek, and finally flattening out near the Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. After a short stroll through residential neighborhoods, we'll reach Clayton.

Event: Welcome gathering in Clayton, hosted by the City of Clayton, at The Grove.

Leaving Clayton, we'll almost immediately be on the Black Diamond Trail. While this last third of the hike is relatively easy in comparison to the morning's climb, don't be deceived--another 1000-foot ascent is just ahead, leading through Nortonville Pass and the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. Eventually, the Ridge Trail brings us back to civilization, looping around the Contra Loma Reservoir before reaching the outskirts of Antioch.

Important: This is strenuous hiking and exposed conditions. Make sure that you have adequate food and water supplies. A support vehicle, with water jugs for topping off, will be accessible at the following points: Arroyo Picnic Area (10.1 miles), Mount Diablo summit (14 miles, bathrooms), Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center (21.5 miles, bathrooms), City of Clayton (24 miles), Black Diamond Mines Upper Parking Lot (30.5 miles).

If you are joining the relay part-way, note that Mount Diablo State Park has an entrance fee for cars. Pedestrians and cyclists are not charged.

Please note: While in East Bay Parks property, as you are for much of the day, if help is needed, you should first check in with ADTS staff for non-emergencies. For emergencies, or if you can't reach ADTS staff, you should contact EB Parks staff as opposed to calling 911: Emergency: 510-881-1121; Non-emergency: 510-881-1833. (You're welcome to call 911, of course, but EB Parks staffers will be able to identify your location and reach you sooner.)