East Bay man scales Mount Diablo every day — for more than 400 miles
Avid runner Joe Owen has always been drawn to Mount Diablo and says he shares a “unique bond with it that I enjoy more than any other area to run.”
So, Owen, who runs six days a week, decided to chart a personal challenge with Mount Diablo: He would run up and down the 3,849-foot peak every day for the month of April — 30 days in all.
The boys coaching director for Mustang Soccer in Danville ended up running about 435 miles, or four times the altitude of Mount Everest, the highest mountain above sea level at 29,029 feet in the Himalayas. His feat covered about 115,000 feet of elevation gain, though at much lower heights than Mount Everest.
Owen did it for a good cause — raising funds through a GoFundMe page for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. To date, he has raised more than $3,000. For more information or to donate, go to www.gofundme.com/f/during-this-difficult-time-many-families-need-help
“This is a world-class feat of endurance,” said Andrew Lowe, a Danville realtor and a friend of Owen’s. “I hope people will recognize this and donate to the food bank.”
Owen said his inspiration stemmed from the book “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins, an American ultramarathon runner, triathlete, motivational speaker and author. Goggins is a retired United States Navy SEAL and former United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party member who served in the Iraq War.
“He really got me thinking that I am capable of so much more,” Owen said.
Once the shelter in place was extended through April, he started thinking of something that would test him, Owen, 48, said.
“Mount Diablo was the answer without a question,” he said. “I chose Mount Diablo because I have always been drawn to that mountain. There is a unique bond with it that I enjoy more than any other area to run. It has always presented an amazing challenge of a person’s will and determination.
He got the idea of helping out the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano from taking part this past November in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & Half Marathon. He ran in that marathon as a sponsor for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“I felt this overwhelming emotion of being able to help others,” he said.
Owen is familiar with the trails up Mount Diablo and mapped out a schedule for his challenge. He would plan the routes the night before and would wake up at 5 a.m. each day and hit the trail between 6 and 7 a.m. He said the traditional 13.65 miles and 3,500 feet would take him about two hours or slightly more.
He named the challenge “30 in 30 #aprilsummitcrush” — 30 Mount Diablo Summits in 30 days of April.
Owen said he pushed out the physical and mental challenges on his runs and listened to his surroundings to “disconnect and meditate.” The trails were open to the public and he made friends with the park employees he would see every day.
Owen said he received support from the local running community and Strava, a social fitness network that tracked his runs.
“When a lot of people found out what I was doing, they kept pushing me forward and encouraging my efforts,” he said. “I am not sure how many people thought I would get through 30 days of it, but as it gained momentum, it was an incredible feeling sharing it with others.”