Runner Safety Considerations

The Wildflower Run has been a safe, fun, family friendly event for 40 years! Safety guidelines and procedures for runners fall into the following three areas:

1) Parking Lot Safety

The parking lots WILL fill up. What should you do?

  • Arrive Early
  • Minimize Parking Requirements
    • Carpool or get dropped off or walk or bicycle
  • Follow all directional signs and traffic / parking volunteer directions. While it is tempting to pull into an open spot, your following of volunteer directions will efficiently maximize parking capacity. Thank you for your patience and adherence.

Locations – See Map

  • Drop off is via the circular drive through at the FRONT of the school (Do not enter the parking lot for drop off.)
  • Runner parking is on the WEST side of the school.
  • Overflow runner parking is on the EAST side of the school.
  • Additional parking may be available on Half Road BEHIND the Live Oak baseball field. From there you can walk through campus to the start/registration area

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Timing Considerations

  • The main runner parking (west side) closes at 8:50.
  • If parking in the overflow runner parking, you must not leave until the final 5K/10K runners return.
  • Runners should stay out of the parking lot until 10 minutes before their event starts
  • 10K start is 9:00; line up starts at 8:50
  • 5K start is 9:15; line up starts at 9:05
  • Timing strips will be removed promptly after each event starts

2) Course Safety

Kids’ 2K and Senior 2K

These events are held on the Live Oak High School track and consist of 5 loops of the track. An EMT will be available at the track.

5K and 10K

These routes are on country roads open to traffic. Follow course marshal directions, stay on the right shoulder, inside the cones, and follow the color coded arrows. Stay alert to traffic and follow directions of police officers and course volunteers, particularly when crossing streets.

Additional safety precautions include:

  • 4 police officers at key locations along the routes
  • 7 CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) course marshals
  • Up to 40 AAUW and community volunteer course marshals along the routes
  • Dedicated volunteer crossing guard in front of the school as the 10K route makes its final left turn into the school
  • An EMT on a bicycle patrolling the 5K and 10K routes

3) Live Oak School Site Safety

AAUW, the event organizer, works closely each year with the City of Morgan Hill and the Morgan Hill Police Department to maximize the safety of our Wildflower Run participants. Most of a runner’s time is spent participating in their event (and course safety precautions are described above).

A significant contributor to site safety at the Wildflower Run is organized parking. Please arrive early and follow the instructions of the parking and course volunteers.

Runner and spectator time on the Live Oak campus is spent entirely out of doors, mostly in the Finish Fest area. Please use common sense as you would in any crowded area, remaining aware of your surroundings. There will be two EMTs in the finish area. In the case of a medical emergency, contact one of them. For any other serious emergency, please contact the police (911).