While around 100 runner and walkers were finishing up the 5 and 10k events at the Falling Leaves Run to benefit Nevada City School programs, another 25 were setting off on a 40 mile challenge to benefit the Woman’s Imaging Center at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital.

Firefighters from CALFIRE Station 40 in Smartsville along with firefighters form Station 42 on Columbia Hill took part in 40 for 40- a forty mile run from Smartsville Station 40 through Penn Valley up to the San Juan Ridge.Then back through the river canyon to Nevada City; down Ridge Road to Sierra College; and across to Sierra Nevada Memoria Hospital Building 4. CALFIRE Battalion Chief Jim Mathais talks about the commitment of the firefighters while waiting for the teams to arrive at the Hospital.
Click here to listen to Battalion Chief Jim Mathais

Firefighters ran the 40 mile course relay style in just about six hours. Family and friends of the firefighters were waiting at the finish line.
CHEER

The celebratory cheer following the sprint to the finish. One Team Captain Matt Brown says the event was success for the firefighters and the Diagnostic Center.
Click here to listen to Matt Brown

Brown says that the Stations surpassed their goal which goes directly towards a new imaging device.
Click here to listen to Matt Brown

Another Team Captain, Firefighter Nolan Hale, is one of the original team members that started the event last year speaks highly of his team.
Click here to listen to Nolan Hale

Hale also explains how a physical training exercise turned into a mission for the station.
Click here to listen to Nolan Hale

Station 40 and 42 showed competitive spirit all the way to the finish with  members of both teams breaking the finish tape in a sprint to claim bragging rights… the winner? Too close to call…. but everyone came out on top.