San Quentin’s 1000 Mile Club runners demonstrated speed, strength, and endurance during their annual half-marathon as hundreds of residents, outside coaches, and volunteers gathered on the Lower Yard to support over 70 participants who trekked the 13.1-mile run.
The club’s top runner, San Quentin resident Jose Fajardo, 44, said competing in races like this brings out the best in people. He expressed that exposing the San Quentin community to events like these inspires others to participate.
“I’m excited and anticipating a good run,” Fajardo said. “This run is an important milestone for us all because it is half the distance towards our goal of completing a marathon in November.”
Runners gathered at the starting line to receive a transponder attached to a numbered bib that allowed outside volunteers to digitally track their lap times and notify them of their progress throughout the race.
Fajardo’s stellar performance landed him a first-place finish time of 1:18:58 that came just shy of toppling Markelle “The Gazelle” Taylor’s club record of 1:17:47.
Encouraging runners from the sidelines, the formerly incarcerated Taylor, 52, said he has been part of the San Quentin 1000 Mile Club organization for 10 years.
“When a friend of mine committed suicide in 2015, I started running,” Taylor said.
Taylor said running not only helped him cope with the death of his friend, but also helped strengthen his mental health. “Life is a marathon,” said Taylor. “Each day brings a different challenge, and the key to success is to never give up.”
Volunteer coach Lee “Timbuktu” Goins said he paroled from “The Q” in 2019 after serving 33 years in prison.
Standing side-by-side, Taylor and Goins cheered on runners and reminisced about the 2015-2018 1000 Mile Club seasons when they spent time together kicking up dust around the track.
“There comes a time in a man’s life when you have to decide what is important, go free or stay in prison,” Goins said. “You can’t expect to get out unless you change your behavior.”
Goins explained how the running club allowed him to become part of a community.
“Despite our crimes, we all came together to run. And that was special,” Goins said.
Outside coach Jim Mahoney praised the dedicated team of San Quentin residents and volunteers who helped create the well-organized event, including four of whom made the journey from California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco.
Guests Brian Charest, Phil Peng, Tracy Hunt, and Tina Ogata are a group of volunteers who helped establish the Born to Run Running Club inside CRC in 2024.
Brian Charest is a professor at the University of Redlands who also teaches a class inside the Norco facility. “Running can be a vehicle for all kinds of change within a person, both physical and mental,” he said.
Standing alongside Charest, Peng, a retired Los Angeles Court commissioner, said they modeled the CRC running club after what the San Quentin 1000 Mile Club has been doing.
According to Peng, because of the combined efforts and support of the Norco facility staff, officers, and residents, their running club has more than doubled within the last year.
Volunteer Tina Orata said CRC running club members also have access to learning valuable life skills taught inside the classroom that aims to help residents make a successful transition back into society.
“For 16 weeks our cohort of runners train for either a five or 10K run of their choice,” Orata said. “Each week they spend one hour in the classroom, before spending one hour out on the track.”
Orata added that her group’s goal of observing the 1000 Mile Club event was to help aid them in organizing a half-marathon run of their own.
Rounding out the top five after Fajardo were Hugo Dimas (1:21:18), Delfino Verdin (1:29:53), Jacob Coleman (1:36:09), and Leandro Gonzalez (1:42:39).
The 1000 Mile Club president, and resident Greg Stephens, announced that all current club members are soon to receive new running shoes. He added, “I want to say thank you to all the volunteers and coaches for their continued support.”
Club member resident Jeffery Covarrubias, 51, said, “Running seems like a solitary activity but it is actually a very social activity, especially on event day.”
The fraternity known as the 1000 Mile Club is now halfway to the marathon.