The event’s name, too, reflects the circumstances. This year’s event is called the “MWT 5K Recovery Run/Race/Walk.”
The Eaton Fire destroyed 24 sections of the Mount Wilson Trail, and the rains that followed forced the U.S. Forest Service to close the trail until the end of the year, according to race organizers.
Pete Siberell, chair of the Mount Wilson Trail Race, said the closure created a decision point for organizers.
“[It would] have been very easy to say, ‘We’ll pass this year, we’ll come back next year,'” Siberell said. “But we don’t do things that way here.”
The race started in 1908 and has been run annually. The traditional course climbs 8.6 miles up Mount Wilson with a 2,100-foot vertical gain, drawing 350 elite runners each year.
“The Mount Wilson Trail Race that we run in May up to Mount Wilson is very dangerous. It’s grueling. It’s 8.6 miles, it’s 2,100 feet. Vertical climb is for really good athletes. It’s a very tough race,” Siberell said.
When the Eaton Fire swept through on January 7th, it destroyed vegetation up on the mountain.
“It was like a moonscape up there. The fires completely destroyed everything, all the vegetation up on the mountain,” Siberell said.
Volunteers thought they could repair the damage in four or five months. Then came the rains.
“The rains were devastating. They knocked out complete sections of the Mount Wilson Trail,” Siberell said. Organizers counted 24 different areas that had to be rebuilt with walls, bridges, fences, and wire baskets filled with rocks to shore up the trail.
The U.S. Forest Service closed Mount Wilson Trail and Bailey Canyon Trail in Sierra Madre until the end of the year.
“So we had no trail to run,” Siberell said.
Saturday’s 5K recovery run on city streets has attracted 600 registered participants—triple what organizers expected. According to race committee materials, the event is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025, with an 8 a.m. start at Kersting Court and has unlimited participation, compared to the traditional race’s 350-person cap.
Registration fees are $54.25 for adults and $44.25 for youth ages 5-17, with a free Kids’ Fun Run for ages 3-13.
The 5K is on asphalt on city streets, not on trails. The race will have participants who may have been intimidated by the trail race. The Saturday race leads into an Oktoberfest event the city is having afterward.
Teams of five to 10 volunteers have been up on the mountain four to five days a week since January. One hundred eighty different people have worked on the trails since the fire.
“We’ve had teams of five to 10 volunteers up on the mountain four to five days a week, ever since January,” Siberell said.
“If you want to enjoy the trails, then you have to help. It’s all volunteers. It’s not U.S. Forest Service. It’s not the City of Sierra Madre. It’s no other agency. It’s all volunteers doing this work,” Siberell said.
The race will raise funds for the Fletcher Trail Maintenance Fund, which pays for tools and materials. As of September 2025, the fund had raised $7,394 toward a $25,000 goal for trail restoration. According to organizers, the fire damage requires additional equipment, materials, and supplies beyond typical maintenance needs.
Southern California Edison has given money. A grant request has been submitted to the California Fire Foundation. Money and contributions come in on a daily basis.
Looking ahead
Organizers are planning to have a 2026 Mount Wilson Trail Race. According to race committee materials from September 2025, organizers hope trail reopening will occur in 2026.
The trails are used by San Gabriel Valley residents for hiking, running, and racing. Eaton Canyon is closed for at least a couple years. The trails in Sierra Madre are closed through the end of this year.
Once the U.S. Forest Service opens up the trail after the first of the year, organizers will be ready to go.
For more information, visit https://www.
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