FKT: Nicholas Farabee - San Gabriel River Trail (CA) - 2026-05-23

San Gabriel Rive Bike Path (SGRBP)

The Start: 

• I had my partner drop me off at the start of the bike path in Azusa. Started at 5:47AM (05/23/2026).

Weather:

• Overcast & cool temps in the low-to-mid-60s. 

My fuel:

• I carried a 0.7L handheld water bottle, ten salt pills, six 100mg caffeine pills, and three 250mL soft flasks w/homemade gels (about 400g of carbs).
• I ended up taking all ten salt pills, 4 caffeine pills, and only stomached about 250g of carbs

Run summary:

• Within the first mile I missed a turn. Thankfully my watch's navigation alarmed me within 300 meters so I turned around and re-entered the SGRBP where I last left it. 
• I anticipated the first water fountain to be around mile 8.4. This water fountain was noted on a "Trail Links" map I referenced while setting way points on my watch. Unfortunately, the water fountain does not exist. I had to ration the remaining 0.2L in my handheld water bottle until a water fountain appeared just off the right of the bike path at mile 15.0. Ended up drinking a little too much water at this water fountain to compensate for the dehydration. I think at this point I had already dug myself into a hole.
• At mile 23.5 I stopped at Santa Fe Springs Park and refilled at a water fountain. I really had to use the restroom but it was closed; a consequence of starting early.
• I held around a 7:30 min/mile pace from the start until mile 24. Gut issues, muscle fatigue, and cramps started to impact pace.
• At mile 30 I stopped at Liberty Park, hoping I could finally use the restroom but no such luck - bathrooms were closed here too. Just refilled at a water fountain and continued on. This was my last water refill.
• At mile 31 I stopped at Rynerson Park and finally found an open bathroom. The relief was a mental boost, but my hamstring cramps persisted, forcing me to keep an easy pace around 9:30-to-10:00 min/mile for the last bit of the route.
• I hobbled the last couple miles, making it to the very end of the bike path on the beach. I stopped my watch (Total Time: 05:28:20), laid down on a stone bench at the bike path terminus, and laughed to myself at how trashed my legs felt.
• Then my mom picked me up and drove me home.

Other takeaways:

• I crossed paths with well over a hundred cyclists and a couple dozen runners / walkers.
• I stayed on the far right-side of the bike path to give cyclists plenty of room. 
• There were a few dense clouds of gnats, I'd recommend sunglasses with large lenses to help shield your eyes.
• Most underpasses had homeless folk. No one bothered me. Just felt it was worth noting.
• I think this route is probably harder for women because of the lack of restroom access and lack of coverage along the bike path.
• The route is mostly downhill and fast. Though a lot of this report sounds like complaining, I actually had a lot of fun, and scored myself a solid 50k PR.
• Lastly, thanks to Peter Noyes for getting the bike path recognized as a route on its own. It was very challenging chasing that record.