At 72, Pacific Palisades resident Stan Swartz runs about 25 miles a week along the hiking trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. Swartz started running the trails 26 years ago, and he used to put in an average of 75 miles a week. ‘There is a freedom running in the mountains. I don’t have to watch every time I step off a curb for traffic,’ Swartz said. ‘I also see a lot of animals such as birds, deer and rabbits.’ Swartz is one of many local residents who enjoy running scenic trails in places such as Will Rogers State Historic Park, Temescal Gateway Park, Los Liones Canyon and Malibu Creek State Park. ‘We are very fortunate to have such easy access to the mountains,’ said Swartz, a builder and general contractor who has lived with his wife Elaine in Pacific Palisades for 36 years. Swartz and fellow Palisadian runners John Weiler and Eric Edmunds say trail running is a way to exercise while experiencing nature. ‘I will get out of the car and start running and soon I am in the middle of nowhere,’ said Edmunds, 55. ‘It’s very therapeutic to get away from the city.’ Swartz agreed and said he first discovered the joy of trail running after his street running club hosted a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot on a hiking trail in the Palisades Highlands. He and a few friends started running trails regularly and soon thereafter he founded the Trail Runners Club for men and women in 1988. The nonprofit club has grown to 175 members and meets every Sunday. Swartz has missed only 12 Sundays since the club formed, and some of those were because of bad weather. He is the club’s oldest member with three grown children and seven grandchildren. Swartz has also co-authored two books ‘Trail Running: From Novice to Master’ and ’50 Trail Runs in Southern California,’ which are available at Village Books. He ran more than 200 trails before recommending the 50 trails highlighted in his book. Edmunds, who has run trails for 31 years and has lived in Pacific Palisades since 1986, said many of the trails highlighted in Swartz’s book are those he discovered on his own. He began running trails in the Bel Air and Brentwood areas while attending law school at UCLA. ‘I started exploring and pretty soon I had a knowledge of all the great spots,’ Edmunds said. ‘Trail running is one of my greatest passions.’ Edmunds joined Swartz’s Trail Runners Club about seven years ago. He also enjoys running with his wife, Debora, and children, Alex, 21 and Chelsea, 19. He finds trail running a wonderful break from his work as a trial lawyer. ‘It’s the antithesis to the stress and pressure of the court,’ Edmunds said, adding he sometimes thinks of briefs in his head while running. Swartz has introduced residents to his passion of trail running, including Weiler who moved to Pacific Palisades 12 years ago. Weiler met Swartz at the Palisades-Will Rogers 5K/10K. ‘I didn’t realize trail running was available in Los Angeles,’ said Weiler, a 64-year-old seafood company owner. ‘It is very relaxing, enjoyable and scenic.’ ‘You don’t have to be a good runner either,’ he continued. ‘If you can run a 10K, you can run any of the trails.’ For more information about Swartz’s Trail Runners Club, visit www.trailrunnersclub.com. Anyone (men or women) interested in running should e-mail Swartz at stan@trailrunnersclub.com or call (310) 459-3757. The group has runners of every pace and skill level. Hikers are also welcome. Membership is $45 per year, but runners can participate two or three times for free before joining. The club is hosting the 26th annual 9.5-mile Turkey Trot Fun Run on November 27. For more information, visit Trail Runners Club’s Web site and click on ‘Special Events.’
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