The races started and finished at the football stadium field with Lambert Timmermans of Negative Split Running tracking times for the competitors. All results can be found at https://negativesplit.io. As a lifelong runner himself, along with his Hungarian Vizsla Zoe, Timmermans said what makes this NATRO event so attractive is that people who don’t live at Soboba can’t run the trails. “Being invited to come onto this land is a special treat,” he said.

NATRO was founded by Sheldon Subith to promote wellness and cultural connection through trail running. It aims to increase Native participation in trail running, often in collaboration with local tribes and organizations like Noli Indian School where Subith oversees the cross-country track team and an afterschool running club. His goal is to foster positive physical and mental health for Indigenous peoples.

“I tell the students that all their time spent running at school is training them for this annual event,” he said jokingly.

Several members of the Pechanga Band of Indians provided an opening blessing and Nukwáanish songs for 40-plus runners and their supportive friends and family members. Andy Masiel Jr. thanked Soboba Tribal Council, Noli Indian School and Subith for making this event possible.

“If you know Sheldon, it will be a tough race,” he said. “Running is a big part of our history with a lot of our ceremonies embedded with running. We want to send everyone out with a good mindset. Running on Native land you will have that relationship with the land.”

Chayo Arellano offered an explanation of one of the Nukwáanish songs after saying they were honored and thankful to be asked to be there. He shared that at the time of Creation, the world started transitioning and one of the first things people did was run and race each other, exploring their new strengths.

“As we run and enjoy our day, realize this is something that’s been going on since the very beginning,” he said.

Subith explained the course markings for each group and the route they would take, including through the canyon and down by the riverbed. Half marathon runner Nic Baldwin came from across the pond to enter the race. He traveled from the UK to attend the second weekend of the Coachella Music Festival but was looking for something to do before it began at 1 p.m. After just two hours of running time, he crossed the finish line with plenty of energy to spare. Baldwin, 42, said he normally does longer distances of 50K, considered to be a popular ultramarathon distance that is usually held on trails. “But this was quite special,” he said.

Just 15 minutes behind Baldwin was Native runner Joseph Sahagun, from the central valley’s Tule River Indian Tribe of California. This was his third year running in the half marathon. “I love it, it’s not only a good run but it challenges your drive and is good for your mental health,” he said. “I love the scenery of the mountains and the trees. When you get in the zone you appreciate the views, it’s all you see for hours.” The U.S. Army veteran completed a marathon in San Jose in December and said he likes to stay fit and active by running.

Soboba’s Mica Diaz last ran the NATRO race in 2024 and felt this year was a little more challenging, especially the hills. “I run here all the time for training, but this is the only race I do,” she said. Diaz was the first Native woman to complete the 5K race, at 37 minutes, 43 seconds.

Shawn Masiel said he runs the hills often and enjoyed being part of a good group to run with on this day.

Shakoora Kabeer was on the sidelines with her youngest children cheering on family members who were taking part in the races to support Sheldon and NATRO. She has two children who attend Soboba Tribal Preschool and one of them ran in the 3K, which began about 30 minutes after the first group of runners started.

“I bring my kids up here to run,” she said. “We usually come up during the school week to get some energy out.”

When Kabeer’s mother, Baseemah Salgado, completed the 5K she said it was intense. “Sheldon is known to put a lot of thought into planning the course,” Salgado said.

Subith said it took about 11 hours to prep the course; five hours to walk it and mark it and six hours to chalk intersections and post directional signs and colored ribbons.

Brad Brunner of Menifee placed second in the 5K Overall category, his first race in more than a year. “I loved it here,” he said. “This was the hardest race I’ve run, and I’ve been running 5Ks for 55 years. It sure felt good to come across the finish line.”

Encouraging him and documenting his run on her cell phone was girlfriend Fay Bancroft. The couple met exactly one year ago at church. Although he retired two years ago, Brunner said he stays fit by going to the gym to lift weights and using a StairMaster at home. He is a born-again Christian, who said, “My faith in Jesus Christ is the most important thing in my life.”

Noli Indian School Booster Club members and teachers were on hand to help with refreshments and high fives as runners finished the race and received participation medals. Noli Principal and Soboba Tribal member Donovan Post chose to walk the 5K. “I don’t need the tee shirt or medal; I just like being out there and getting my 10,000 steps in,” he said.

Some of the proceeds from the race will benefit the Culture department as well as the running club at Noli. Subith was grateful for all the sponsors that stepped up to support this year’s race.

More than 10 volunteers from Soboba’s Department of Public Safety and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were posted at water stations out on the course. Soboba Fire Explorers members helped where needed.

Four marathoners included Rachel Metzger, whose sister Chelsea Gonzalez ran the half marathon. Their children participated in the 3k and the 5k races, all doing extremely well.

With the sounds of bird calls overhead and wind whistling through the trees, runners had a lot to enjoy as they made their way along the trail. Aside from all runners receiving a participation medal, the top three finishers in each division received an extra one to commemorate their success.

The 5K category saw three young Native boys in a very close race. Jose Leon was first at 29 minutes, 39 seconds; Ezekiel Gonzalez was second at 29 minutes, 44 seconds; and Ben Metzger came in third at 29 minutes, 45 seconds.

“The NATRO race gets better every year,” Subith said. “This year we got more community involvement, which is the main thing.”

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Race Director Subith is hoping to make this an annual event that will grow to further expand the support of departments at the school’s campus that serves Native American students in grades 6-12. Offering a marathon, half marathon, 5K and a Kids 3K, Native and Open divisions were also offered. This gave everyone an opportunity to explore the picturesque Soboba Indian Reservation while enjoying time with family and friends. For serious runners, it gave them a chance to hone their skills on a trail course.

The course consisted of some hills, sand, rock, single track, stream crossings and fire roads at a 2,000+ elevation gain for the marathon and 1,000+ for the half marathon. Each participant was given an aerial map copy that showed the routes, which were marked with different colored ribbons for each race along the way for runners to follow.

The morning began with a blessing from Pechanga Band of Indians’ Robert Villalobos, who was joined by other members of the Nukwáanish Singers and Dancers.

He spoke about Háyyish, the very first race and said, “Running has been important for our people since the beginning of time. Run for whatever reason brought you here today.”

Joining Villalobos were Myra Masiel, Annalisa Smith, Delila Villalobos and Gavin Avila. The group often attends events at Noli to support the school and the students.

“We are all the same people, we just come from a different village, but we are all related one way or another,” Villalobos said.

Running has a long and rich history in Native American cultures, with traditions dating back to ancient times. It holds profound cultural and spiritual significance for many Native American tribes

Noli English teacher Emma Herrera, from the Pechanga Band of Indians, scored a second-place finish for Native females in the 5K race with a time of 43:12. “I’m not a runner,” she said. “I’m doing this to support the school.”

Her mother, Kelly Collins of Corona, said running is part of her normal routine. She ran a marathon in Havasu a year ago so she could cross off her bucket list. This day she chose to run the 5K alongside her daughter and future son-in-law, Elliot Chao.

“It was an hour’s drive to get here but it was worth it to support Emma and the kids at Noli,” said Collins, who was the second-place female in the Open division to finish the race.

Chao said he’s still recovering from knee surgery last year but said he considers any type of movement to be like medicine for him. “I played sports all my life and I enjoy running and supporting my fiancée.”

Kekai Bryant-Williams teaches math at Noli and interacted with all the runners at a booth she set up with healthy food options, swag, and informational pamphlets about the school so everyone there could learn about the beneficiary of their efforts that day.

Brett Jones, a chiropractor from Tucson, has been friends with Sheldon Subith since childhood and entered the race to support NATRO. His company, Kairos Training Culture, also served as one of the sponsors. A 2004 graduate of West Valley High School in Hemet, Jones challenged himself to run his first marathon. He completed the two loops of a 13.1-mile course in 7 hours and 42 minutes, alongside his running partner Lindsay Kolterman, of Arcata.

Chelsea Tortes tackled the half marathon and completed the run in less than three hours, besting the female finisher in the Open division by several minutes. She was the only female among the four Native division runners for that race. She said she has run 15K races in the past but not a half marathon, which is about 22K in length.

“I love running; it’s like therapy,” she said. “My sister Rachel does Ultras, and she really motivated me.”

Alyssa Siqueiros chose to run the 5K and was the first one over the finish line among the dozen Native division participants, completing the course in just about 29 minutes.

Three runners representing Golden Era Productions did very well. Wilson Equez, Johann Ohlsson and Ben Sproule all competed in the 5K, with Ohlsson finishing in second place in the Open division.

Muriel Dufresne, Community Affairs Director for the community partner, said they do a lot of events to support groups throughout the community.

Soboba Tribal member Rosemary Morillo took part in the 5K. She was joined by her daughters, Anita and Amy, her granddaughter, two grandsons and her nephew. She said she entered not to compete for the best time but to stay active. She and a few others chose to walk the course.

“We try to do something like this every month,” Morillo said. “I started the kids on this a long time ago. We started with the Susan G. Komen (Race for the Cure). It’s mostly just about being out there with everybody. The best part of it is that we’re able to be here for the day.”

Rick Pfeiffer, of Carlsbad, is well known in the running world and was the first NATRO runner of the day to cross the finish line, completing the 5K in just under 25 minutes.

“That was long for me for a 5K,” he said. “I usually am in the low 21s or high 20s,” the 74-year-old athlete said. “I run almost every day, generally a 5K but sometimes a half marathon.”

Pfeiffer said he hadn’t run any races since his recent one at the Galapagos Islands. Subith said Pfeiffer is considered to be a World Class runner in his age group.

Ronald Resvaloso, 13, and Jerimyah Saenz, 15, did well, finishing second and third overall in the Native division of the 5K race. Both keep active playing sports.

“The best thing you can do is keep pace and don’t slow down,” Ronald said. “The weather was perfect today, not too hot or cold.”

Georgi Shagoian travelled from North Hollywood to run the half marathon, which he has done two or three times before.

“I was searching on trailrunner.com for a race to run and found this one,” he said.

Brandon Burgess, of Colton, said he loves trail running. When he found the race and saw that it was benefitting the school, he entered the half marathon.

Tekla Diaz and Daize Burton, both young mothers, started working out together and decided to enter the 5K and let some of their children have fun with the Kids 3K race, which was not timed.

Keilee Subith, 11, was the top female finisher across both divisions when she finished the 5K race in 29 minutes flat. She said her father Ryan and grandfather Sheldon help with her training.

“I like to run,” she said. “Once the trail got downhill, it got pretty easy.”

Of the 20 runners who attempted the half marathon, Joe Sahagun crossed the finish line more than 20 minutes ahead of any other competitor with a time of 2:01:43.

“That was a good time for me for a trail run. I saw a coyote and a couple of deer out there,” said Sahagun of Springville, California. He completed his last half marathon in March. “I try to do one every other month.”

He starts each morning at 4 a.m. with a 5- to 8-mile run and does weight training to keep in shape. He is a U.S. Army veteran who works as a counselor for the Tule River Reservation and came to help support Noli Indian School.

Subith’s friends Manny Barragan of Lake Elsinore and Danny Gantt of Moreno Valley volunteered their time throughout the morning to handle announcements, music and presenting medallions to all the runners as they crossed the finish line.

Sponsors for the event included the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, Soboba Foundation, Karios Training Culture, Lemongrass Restaurant, Pala Band of Mission Indians and Soboba Tribal Kitchen.

NATRO’s mission is “Empowering Native American communities through the celebration of culture, connection to land, and pursuit of wellness through trail running. NATRO is committed to fostering inclusivity, preserving ancestral knowledge, and promoting physical and mental health for all Indigenous peoples.”

Roger Drews from Fusion Timing in San Diego, kept the results updated for runners to view on a screen at the timing booth. For full results, please visit www.fusiontiming.com.

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Soboba’s Kelli Hurtado gave a short blessing followed by a rabbit song before all runners took off from the starting line at The Oaks football stadium. She said the song is meant to provide inner peace.

Runners encountered some hills, sand, rock, single track, stream crossings and fire roads during the run that started at about 7:30 a.m. The first person to cross the 5K finish line was Katelyn Subith after just 28 minutes. She said she likes to switch it up as her last race was a 10K at Diamond Valley Lake, which will be the site of the Bedrock Valley Gravel Ride and Trail Runs on April 6 and 7.

“This was a good challenge for me, and it was a lot of fun,” said the mother of three.

The first male to complete the 5K race was Ben Sproule of San Jacinto. “I’ve always been a runner,” he said. “I have a competitive streak; I do it for the race.” He also plays soccer and has competed in races in Beaumont and Riverside as well as the annual San Jacinto Fun Run, which will be held on April 29 this year.

“It was a good course, but it was brutal; there are some really steep hills,” Sproule said. After 40 minutes had passed, many more runners had crossed the finish line. Some had used earphones to listen to inspiring music as they ran while others chose to enjoy the sounds of nature found in the hills above the baseball fields, such as singing birds and the gurgle of flowing streams.

The first Native female to finish was Mekah Pope and Kevin Estanislao was the first Native male to complete the 5K.

Brett Jones, a chiropractor from Tucson, has been friends with Sheldon Subith since childhood and entered the race to support NATRO. He also was one of the sponsors. A 2004 graduate of West Valley High School in Hemet, Jones said he found the course to be “absolutely amazing.”

John Etchart of Hemet was born and raised in the San Jacinto Valley and said he is very good friends with most residents on the reservation because of his work as a veterinarian. He tended to many of the large animals back when cattle used to be raised there. He also participated in the Soboba Grand Prix motorcycle races that were organized by former Tribal Council Chairman Benny Helms in the early 70s. “I’ve been an athlete most of my life,” Etchart said.

Soboba’s Joseph Perez found out about the race just a few days prior but has been investing in his health and trying to improve his life. He has lost 90 pounds in the past couple of years and wants to continue eating right and challenging himself to be better. He hopes his efforts can help him serve as a role model for his people. He was inspired to make drastic changes after his unborn child, Gracie Jo, was lost to a miscarriage in July.

“This little girl changed my heart for the best,” Perez said. “I did this race for my daughter; she’s here with me still.”

He carried a heart shaped urn that contains her ashes throughout the race and said she continues to inspire him every day.

Perez, 32, lived on the Soboba reservation for most of his life before moving to San Jacinto. He said the three most important things a person needs to have are accountability, consistency and determination and that this may have been his first race, but it isn’t his last.

 DJ Mike Nevarez, who kept the beats going for those that were waiting for loved ones to return or runners who were hanging out before and after the races, said, “Everybody’s a winner just for participating. Those hills out there are no joke.”

He announced the top three 5K winners in the Open and Native divisions while Subith gave the first-place winners of each a handmade pottery mug that commemorated the inaugural NATRO trail race. They were, Open Female: Katelyn Subith, Keilee Subith and Christine Quintero; Open Male: Ben Sproule, Brett Jones and Wilson Equez; Native Female: Mekah Pope, Nicole Diaz and Marilyn Mendoza; and Native Male: Kevin Estanislao, Ishwut Vega and Abel Vallejo.

Matthew Micheals completed the 15 miles of trail in just over two hours, which was changed from a loop to 7.5 miles out and back due to impassable stream crossings caused by recent rainstorms. The Riverside resident has been a runner for more than 15 years and said trail races tend to be run at a slower pace due to the higher elevations.

“They are a lot more fun and definitely have better views,” Micheals, who is in the Marine Corps, said. “I do it for the sport itself.”

The first place 25K Native runner was Joseph Sahagun who came in just five minutes behind Micheals at 2 hours, 17 minutes and 25 seconds.

Marcus Hunter of Yucaipa said he just started getting into running and likes outdoor races the best. “They are more fun, more diverse and a little more challenging,” he said.

He prepared for the race by eating simple foods and complex carbs. He was hoping to complete the course in three hours or less but said it would depend on the elevation, adding that the only competitor he had was himself.

“We’ll see what that climb does,” Hunter said. “But we couldn’t ask for better weather being overcast like this; 70 degrees or below is perfect.”

Ten members of the Golden Era Running Team came out to support the NATRO program, who is donating a portion of its proceeds to the Noli Indian School Cross-Country and Track programs.

“We feel it is important for all big organizations to contribute to this event for Soboba,” Golden Era’s Community Events Director Linda Greilich said. “They give so much to the community and supporting groups like this and bringing the whole community together is what makes this valley what it is. We want to thank everyone at Soboba for a beautiful day, magnificent landscape and an incredibly friendly staff who made all of us feel at home. The Golden Era Running Team was proud to be part of the day.”

About 15 members of Renatus Athletics in Hemet came out to participate. Some ran the 5K while others took on the challenging 25K. Josh Pagliaroli is a CrossFitter who said each runner had signed up as part of their own self challenge.

“We are in the middle of a nutrition and performance challenge, and they all get bonus points for being in the race,” he said, adding that it was a way to get more people to support the event.

Although he has run two trail races in the past, this was Pagliaroli’s first 15-mile race which included his teenage son. He said CrossFit is a little bit of everything and racing is just one aspect of it. Renatus Athletics falls under the CrossFit umbrella as an official affiliate. For more information, www.renatusathletics.com.

Soboba’s Mica Diaz was the top Native female finisher of the longer race. She started running 10 years ago to help build her endurance and fitness for racing motocross.

“I run a few times a week but once I heard about the NATRO event, I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could complete a 25k, so I started to increase my mileage every week leading up to the event; it’s the most running I have ever done,” Diaz said. “The NATRO 25K trail was a tough one, especially the uphill section toward the end, but it was nice to see new runners enjoying the run and having fun. The top finishers were fast and motivating. I’m very fortunate to have these trails in my backyard and I look forward to the future NATRO events!”

Top three 25K winners in the open and Native divisions were, Open Female: Rufus Schneider, Stephanie Prevost and Brenda Pagliaroli; Open Male: Matthew Micheals, Simon Cooper and Josh Pagliaroli Jr.; Native Female: Mica Diaz, Sharon Moreno and Nichole Santa Cruz; and Native Male: Joseph Sahagun.

Sheldon Subith, who was the 2020 USATF Trail Marathon Champion in the masters’ age group 65-69 category, has long been a strong advocate and trailblazer in the Southern California running circuit.

He said his primary motivation to create NATRO is to decrease the high rate of diabetes among Native Americans. Although non-Native himself, he knows that trail running and education about diet can help combat the disease. Trail running is an accessible sport that doesn’t take much monetary investment and most reservations have extensive trail systems, so the people there don’t have to travel somewhere else to run.

Subith started the organization in his hometown of Hemet because he already has connections with several tribes in the area. He envisions a championship trail race among reservations across the country that would change venues every year. Subith wants to encourage Native runners to become USA Track & Field (USATF) members so their teams can compete in sectional and national USATF trail running events.

“The grand vision down the road would be to have a north, south, east and west championship that culminates in a national championship,” he said. “This would be my way of repaying the Native American Tribes for all they’ve done for me throughout my life.”

He is also interested in getting more Native youth involved with trail running as he feels it is an activity for them to feel good about themselves in a positive and healthy way.

“Trail running builds discipline and character which they can use throughout their life no matter the endeavor,” Subith said.

For more information and results, please visit www.ultrasignup.com and search for NATRO@Soboba and follow NATRO-Native American Trail Running Organization on Facebook and Strava.

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