SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Seth Wilmoth is the center of Project: Gold Rush | 13×13 where he will run 13 marathon distances in 13 days to raise money for the California State Parks Foundation. Wilmoth is passing through Lake Tahoe on April 26, where you can join his run to help raise awareness and dollars for public lands. “People are interested and moved by watching other people’s journeys in movement and the parks and public lands of California mean a lot to me,” said Wilmoth.
“I love running and love the community around it,” said Wilmoth, who said he began doing cross country and track in high school, after years of swimming. He participated in track and field at Westmont College, which is where he says his passion for the outdoors only grew.
“I had a love for the natural world and while I was in the ecology and evolution track, I was out surveying and birdwatching,” said Wilmoth. “California has so many beautiful natural landscapes and is an incredible place to learn. That’s where my love for it all blossomed.”
Wilmoth decided to partner with the California State Parks because of their work and the impact it could have. He also feels now is a critical time for them. “We need to protect and preserve public lands, and the California State Parks Foundation does incredible work on a broad scale. Through my research, they were a clear choice.”
Running for a cause is something Wilmoth feels gets a lot of attention. Nowadays, people often create Strava campaigns to raise awareness and funds, and Wilmoth says he enjoys seeing movement campaigns. “I love seeing people take on challenges, overcome things—it’s a cool way to get people to pay attention. It’s remarkable to see what you’re capable of with extreme distance running when you approach it the right way.”
It was only natural for him to combine all of his loves to create this campaign. As someone who worked as an educator for SEEAG (where he now writes grants), he says, “I like to encourage people to get outside because you can learn and support it by connecting with it.”
“There are so many hidden gems of California that don’t get the appreciation they deserve. Some of these places, I’m coming back to, others are brand new to me, and that’s really exciting,” said Wilmoth. “This project is connecting me with people all throughout California, and even with people who have visited these places, see what we’re doing, and can connect that way.”
Tahoe does hold a special place in Wilmoth’s heart though—he grew up in El Dorado County and had plenty of memories all throughout the Tahoe Basin. “I mean, concerts at Stateline, 4th of July, being at the lake, Echo Summit,” he reminisced fondly, “Trips into the Sierras were really pivotal moments in garnering an appreciation for nature.”
Wilmoth also feels that the recognizability of Lake Tahoe and its public lands will draw attention to his charity efforts—which are possible in no small part by Skechers’ partnership. “Skechers was all over it from the beginning and really understood the passion for the project,” he said. “It takes a village and it takes a team to pull this kind of thing off.”
Tahoe will be one of Wilmoth’s public runs, where runners can sign up to join him for “a mile or 26.2” as his Instagram posts read. “To get to run with other people is just awesome and it’s going to be a fantastic day at Tahoe.”
When asked about what he was personally excited to see again in Tahoe, Wilmoth cracked a smile. “I need to make a stop at Camp Richardson and get more ice cream than I probably need,” he laughed. “And I’ve swam at Emerald Bay before, so I’m looking forward to seeing it again. I just love the natural beauty of the Sierras.”
You can donate to public lands, sign up to run with Wilmoth and partner or sponsor him at hoo.be/sethwilmoth. You can also follow Wilmoth at @sethwilmoth on social media to watch his journey through Project Gold Rush, and follow @skechers_running for more on Skechers.
