Welcome to another ActiveRenoTahoe newsletter. This week is the first part of a two part series focusing on the Journal Jog, Reno’s oldest footrace. Today’s newsletter will cover the first Journal Jog that took place in 1969. Next week, will be an overview of the 56 years of this annual race.

The 2025 Journal Jog will take place on Sunday, August 24.

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The Journal Jog has been an annual event for the last 56 years. This great Reno tradition has a storied history and the race has come a long ways since its first iteration in 1969. The race was created by the Nevada State Journal, one of two local newspapers at the time — the other was the Reno Gazette.

The details of the inaugural race were announced on September 13, 1969 and the race took place just a month later on October 12, 1969. In a September 14, 1969 article in the Nevada State Journal, Paul A. Leonard, editor of the newspaper, cited the “fast-growing interest in jogging” as the main reason for the new race. He went on to say, “we want to attract both experienced runners and novices who exercise at a slow pace.”

Long-time Reno running legend, Skip Houk, was the event’s first race director. He created a challenging course through Southwest Reno. The start and finish took place on Foster Drive in front of the old Reno YMCA (the current location of the Boys and Girls Club). A couple highlights from the original course include runners barrelling down Ferris Lane and the course traveling on the newly constructed “Crooked Mile” in Idlewild Park.

Here’s the course map that was published in the October 1, 1969 edition of the Nevada State Journal:

To enter the first Journal Jog, participants had to clip out the entry form from the newspaper (below) and mail it in. There was no entry fee for the race. In addition, the first race had multiple different categories including a category for participants weighing over 200 pounds and the oldest and youngest entrant. Also, there were no age group awards for females. Women just competed in the “women-girls” category.

In an October 1, 1969 Nevada State Journal article, they highlighted a team of 12 runners who all worked together at the Circus Room in the former John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks. The team was made up of several international runners including one who had participated in the 1968 Summer Olympics. The team’s spokesman, Esteban Valle, issued a challenge to other casinos to field a team. He said, “We’ll prove to them that we at the Nugget are the healthiest and most sports-minded service group in the area.”

According to the front page article covering the race on Monday, October 13, the Nevada State Journal reported, “Of the 135 starters, 131 checked in at the end of the race. There were no reported casualties among the scores of men, women, boys, and girls that took part in the event.”

Pete Sinnot, a Carson City native and a member of the University of Nevada track and cross country teams, was the first Journal Jog champion. His finishing time of 24:36 was 12-seconds faster than Skip Houk, the event’s race director. The Nevada State Journal provided extensive coverage of the front of the race including mile splits throughout the race. Skip Houk and third place finisher, Athol Barton, went through the first mile in an impressive 4:35. Sinnot trailed Houk and Barton until Sinnot made a move in Idlewild Park during the final mile of the race to pass both men.

Dale Phillips, from Jonesville, California, was the first female finisher. She finished just ahead of Kathy Law of Susanville, CA. There were just 10 female participants in the inaugural Journal Jog.

Although 135 participants would be considered a very small race in today’s world, the first Journal Jog was a springboard to 56 years of a great Reno tradition. Next week’s newsletter will provide an overview of the Journal Jog’s entire history.

August Races

Please let us know if we are missing an event.

There are a variety of group runs offered each week in RenoTahoe. Here are this week’s group runs. Please be sure to double check each group’s website/social media for locations, time, and/or last minute changes.

Thursday, August 7

Friday, August 8

Saturday, August 9

Sunday, August 10

Monday, August 11

Tuesday, August 12

Wednesday, August 13

Are we missing a group run? Let us know!

Until next time, stay active RenoTahoe!