Briones – Golden Goat & Golden Kid
Date: (Sun.) Mar. 25, 2007
Location: Lafayette, CA
Event Director: 
- 510.658.4327
Course Setter: Penny DeMoss
Type: Extra long and strenuous courses, plus Orange (intermediate) course; NO BEGINNER COURSES
NOTE: See the Course Setter's Notes for the latest update.
You've got 6-1/2 weeks [when this was written] to get into shape for this year's Golden Goat and Golden Kid, which will be held on Sunday, March 25, 2007—rain or shine. If you missed last year's blazing fast and runnable courses, you won't want to miss out again. And if you did last year's event, you'll be pleased to learn that it'll be much more of the same open, fast, loooong running in beautiful terrain. Plus, in addition to running in a seldom-used area, we're going into a newly-mapped area (that's always fun).
So, for those who don't know... What is a Golden Goat? ...it's an especially long course with a mass start, intermediate-level control locations, following permitted (i.e., it's expected), rules that are specific to that year's course (more on that later), with a "bail out" Golden Kid course for those who don't want to do the whole Goat course. This is not to say that the Golden Kid is easy...it's just not as long and hard as the full Goat. You do not have to declare which course you are doing beforehand. You can decide while you're running.
There will be much more info as we get closer to the big day, but this much is known at this point:
The mass start will be at 11:00 A.M.. Courses will close at 4:00 P.M.. The start is 500 m from the registration area. We will be using E-punch and self registration. The fee will be $12 per person (no T-shirts this year). No junior, or group discounts. A Registration crew will be on hand for rental of E-punch sticks if you don't have one.
The Golden Goat is 13.1 km with about 840-m climb, and the Golden Kid is 6.9 km with about 410-m climb. These distances and climb do not take into consideration the fact that you will be allowed to skip a control of your choosing on both courses. Also, there will be a split control, and depending on which split you choose to do, you may or may not shorten the course! Everyone will have a map of the entire course, so you don't have to decide if you want to do the Kid or the Goat until well into the event. More specifics about the rules are available in the Course Setter's Notes.
There will be prizes for the first three men and first three women on each course, plus a prize to the first "Old Goat" (50+ male or female) on each course.
The only other course offered at the event will be a Orange course. There will not be White or Yellow courses, or beginner's clinics. If you come to do the Orange course, you'll be pretty much on your own. E-punch will be used. Registration staff will be on hand to rent E-punch sticks for those who don't have one. The course will be self registration, self start, and self finish. Normal entry fees will apply. Starts will be from 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.. The Orange course closes at 3:00 P.M.. The start and finish will be in the registration area. Do not go out to the Golden Goat start. The Orange course is 5.6 km with 325-m climb.
Parking and registration will be at the Bear Creek Road entrance to Briones, the SW portion of the park (see below).
See the Course Setter's Notes for more information. If you need some more motivation, check your standing in the Lifetime Points List.
Plan to be there, it'll be fun.
Driving Directions
Registration will be at the West entrance to the park, off of Bear Creek Road. To get there, take route 24 West from I-680 or East from I-80. Exit at Orinda and head North on Camino Pablo. After about 2 miles, turn right onto Bear Creek Road. After about 3.5 miles, the park entrance will be on your right (don’t be fooled by the parking area on the left—that’s not it), and is well sign-posted. There is a park fee of $5.00 for entrance/parking.