Coho salmon travel astounding distances from the Pacific Ocean up the Klamath River, and one Karuk tribal member has followed suit on dry land to raise awareness about the river’s health.
Crispin McAllister, 29, started early March 17 in his hometown of Orleans, running from the Bluff Creek Bridge on Highway 96 and finishing in the town of Happy Camp — 53 miles total.
Connected to the International Day of Action for Rivers — March 14 — a movement supporting river health and dam removal, McAllister’s run spanned the ancestral territory of the Karuk tribe.
A member of the Karuk tribal council, McAllister said Klamath River’s health is integral.
“It’s in our hearts to see a healthy river, a clean river with fish for my children to eat when they get older and have their own kids. Fishing is important for the tribal community as well as enjoying a healthy diet of salmon.”
The Karuk tribal council has nine members and meets four times a month, McAllister said, discussing everything from health care and housing to tribal administration.
“Spirit Run was my way of saying this river is important to me and the community, and a healthy river is something we’re all hoping for.”
Community members turning out for McAllister’s run echoed the water body’s ecological and cultural importance, and motivated him to keep going.
Support of the community
Students from local elementary schools held signs in support. Runners joined him for miles at a time, including members of Klamath Riverkeeper, the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, Karuk Youth Leadership Council, and the tribe’s department of natural resources.
In addition to community support, McAllister was joined by his family: wife Ashley, 27, and his daughters Jasmine, Naomi and Anavi.
“Having such a great turnout was so inspiring for me,” McAllister said. “If anyone is inspired by me, that’s great. I don’t care what community they’re from. People come from all over the world to see the beauty of the Klamath River.”
River restoration efforts
Craig Tucker, Klamath coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, said they have been fighting for dam removal and are focused on raising awareness and reinvigorating dam removal advocates.
“It’s not a sprint but a marathon,” Tucker said. “Or in McAllister’s case, an ultramarathon. What he did really helped.”
Situated in a remote area of Humboldt County, Tucker said many people don’t have Twitter accounts or even cellphones, so in-person actions make people feel like they’re really part of river restoration efforts.
“These kinds of efforts motivate actions, emails to senators, protests and demonstrations,” Tucker said. “It helps put grassroots pressure on politicians when people get involved.”
McAllister’s military background
As part of a military family, McAllister grew up all over the country but frequently visited the Karuk ancestral territory.
McAllister himself joined the Marines as a medic and served nearly five years. In 2004 he was deployed to Iraq.
While serving overseas, his running habit began. Largely in order to decompress from his experiences in the Armed Forces, McAllister started running more and more when he returned.
He said longer runs give him a couple hours of good thinking time. Already taking on 10 to 15 miles a day for marathon training, McAllister said ultramarathon running was just something he thought he’d try out.
“Ultramarathon running is a whole different ballgame of running,” McAllister said. “It’s less about time and more about just finishing.”
Anything above five of six miles per hour can burn you out for distances longer than a traditional marathon’s 26.2 miles, the runner added.
Whenever possible, McAllister is joined by his family for running or walking. The recovery process after long runs takes a couple days and he’s thankful that his wife, Ashley, is a massage therapist and nutritionist.
Although his tribal council duties keep McAllister very busy, he’s been asked to join Running Strong for American Indian Youth. Spokesman Billy Mills, a fellow Marine veteran and member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, is the first American runner to win an Olympic gold medal in the 10-kilometer race.
And though McAllister’s future running plans are uncertain, as are the fate of the dams on the Klamath River, he is certainly glad to have his health.
During last Thursday’s run, a car zoomed by and kicked a rock into his right leg below the knee.
“There were some pretty gnarly welts the size of a golf ball,” said McAllister, who pulled the rock out of his own leg. And he just kept running, upstream.
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