2011 Fun Run Highlights!

Limited by Our Own Imagination

With the spirit of our imagination, Heritage Oaks Bank has embarked on a journey to bring the Central Coast a fun-filled, family-oriented event. Founded in 1983, Heritage Oaks Bank has become a recognized leader in community involvement.

It’s hard to imagine that we are entering our 13th year of this event,” says Mitch Massey, Senior Vice President/Marketing Heritage Oaks Bank and also the event’s Race Director. The first year the event was held, it was on a rainy November morning – close to 200 people participated with what was then a 5K Run and a 2-Mile Walk. Then it was decided to move the event to a warmer month and the last day in September was chosen. Within ten months the event was held twice, but the last Sunday of September has become the Fun Run’s new date. “We knew we wanted to bring a higher level of involvement to put Paso Robles on the national running map, but without losing the feel of a community event,” says Massey.

With that vision the California 10K Championship was created with a big prize purse that attracted some of the world’s top international and Olympic athletes. For five years, the Fun Run was home to the United States Association of Track and Field, the USATF governing body, of the Masters 10K National Championship. “It was a dream watching some of the world’s best runners race through the downtown streets of Paso,” adds Massey. And the event did not lose its community roots. “I think the LA Times put it best when they wrote about the Fun Run being a big-time running event, but with a small town feel. That defined our vision perfectly,” says Massey. Today the Fun Run is one of the most successful family running events in the country. It’s present set-up consists of the Central Coast 10K Classic where some of the area’s best runners compete for a prize purse. This event is complimented by a 5K Run and Walk, 1-mile Run, Half-mile Kids’ Run, 75-yard Kids’ Dash, Diaper Dash and the ever-popular 100-yard Mascot Run. “Through these years we have established an event that the entire family can enjoy. We have stayed to the original vision and values set forth in 1998, that this is an event where the entire family can participate,” adds Massey.

Check out our past events!