2026 3CR 1000k wrap-up
Bill Bryant
2026 California Centra Coast Randonnée
The fourth running of the Santa Cruz Randonneurs’ 3CR 1000k was a success. The huge landslide on the Big Sur coast was finally opened earlier this spring, and we got to use scenic Highway 1 again. Nineteen of the 20 participants finished the brevet, and judging by their appearance and comments at the finish line, they finished well. The 3CR is a very hard ride and all entrants are advised to “bring their A-game.” This year’s group certainly did that.
The weather cooperated and we had tailwinds more often than headwinds, and the temperatures were normal for the time of year. There was some drippy fog early in the mornings but no rain. Many randonneurs may not know that each year’s ACP brevet calendar is organized during the preceding September, so the weather for an event nine months later will be a gamble. Happily, the weather gods were smiling on our 3CR participants this year.
All in all, the finishers seemed upbeat and proud of their accomplishment, as well they should! Many of them will be hoping to ride Paris-Brest-Paris next year and the 3CR showed that they have the requisite determination, physical strength, and randonneuring skills to earn their finisher’s medal there too. Speaking of hard-riding randonneurs, Dan Pannell did his 400-kilometer 3CR qualifying ride just five days before the 3CR – yowza!!
Overall, one rider was forced to stop on Day Two due to stomach problems, and our three volunteers doing the workers’ ride two weeks earlier encountered hellacious winds that scuppered their ride at half-distance. Undeterred, Tim Mason and Jack Holmgren will be riding a Seattle Randonneurs 1000k soon, and Anne-France Boyle is off to ride the Mile-Failte 1200k in Ireland. We also had Poppy Krasnova and Ioannis Sarkas helping us at the Santa Cruz lighthouse for the start. Gallant Don Bennett staffed a nighttime food stop at the cold and lonely Ragged Point parking lot after the store closed at 9 PM on Day Two. It turned out the last 3CR riders passed by a bit earlier, so Don spent his time helping some stranded motorists enjoy a late-night rando-dinner of Cup-O-Noodles, cookies, chips, hot chocolate, and coffee. The 3CR couldn’t happen without these outstanding volunteers and we offer them our sincere thanks!
Bonne route et bon courage!
Lois Springsteen & Bill Bryant
Santa Cruz Randonneurs
2026 3CR 1000k Finishers
Matthew Albert
Renato Arnoco
Bill Brier
Mark Brogan
Lam Do
Gary Egorov
Julien Erard
Kim Freitas
Maitram Giske
Rhiana Henry
Jonathan Izen
Eric Linser
Melinda Lu
Dominique Ly
Grant McAlister
Colin Moy
Daniel Pannell
Sang Tran
Kevin Williams