Since its inception in 2025, the Noli Indian School Trail Races have assisted in expanding trail running opportunities for Native runners in the US. The races, held on the Soboba Reservation near San Jacinto, CA, were organized by Sheldon Subith, Native American Trail Running Organization (NATRO) founder, and offer a variety of approachable run/walk distances for runners of all levels in both Native and Open categories. These events served as a fundraiser for the Noli Indian School Athletic Department and Robert “Bobby” Salgado Scholar/Athlete Scholarship Fund to support Native athletes with collegiate aspirations. Featured photo: Alex Vallejo far left and Baseem Arlene Salgado far right with granddaughters.
Donovan Post, principal of the Noli Indian School, spoke on the success of the event’s previous edition and thoughts leading into this year’s races, “Last year got everything off to a great start. We saw a great number of students involved, as well as many people coming out to help from the local community. We raised $4,000 for the school and started an athletic scholarship fund that awarded a student with $1,500 to attend college.”
Post speaks on the unique opportunity of hosting a trail race at the school, as opposed to a more common cross country or track running event, “Trail running isn’t just laps around a smooth, flat grassy park. We have the terrain here to put on a real cross country race, or in other words a proper trail race, where runners can experience what it’s like to run up the canyon and on technical terrain. Sheldon designed a course with hills as steep as could be. The course took runners through knee high water and offered a variety of fun trail challenges. People loved this kind of adventurous style of running and I was so impressed with how dedicated all of the runners were.”
Words from participants
Participants of the 2026 Noli Indian School Races share their experiences running in the second edition of this event. Race distances included a Kid’s 3K, Open 5K, Native 5K, Open Half Marathon, Native Half Marathon, Open Marathon, and Native Marathon.
Alex Vallejo, Soboba Tribal Member and top-ten finisher in the Native men’s 5K race said about the event, “What I enjoyed most was the deep sense of connection to the land itself. Running on Native land reminds you that these trails aren’t just a recreational playground—they are sacred, living spaces with a deep history. There was a unique energy out there, and feeling grounded to the earth with every step made the race feel like more than just a competition. It felt like an honor to move across it.”
Vallejo also shares his thoughts on the difficulty, and reward, of the course, “The terrain was incredibly challenging, and there were moments where my body wanted to quit. But running in a place with so much history teaches you about resilience. I learned to stop fighting the trail and instead work with it—respecting the climbs and finding a rhythm. I’m glad I pushed through because it taught me that we are capable of carrying ourselves through tough stretches if we stay patient and respect our surroundings.”
Joseph Sahagun, direct descendant of the Lipan Apache tribe of Texas, and winner of the men’s Native Half Marathon, said about this race, “I love the comradery between all the runners, race director, and volunteers. I use this race as a weekend to clear my mind and focus on personal growth and mental health. With every mile I run or every hill I climb it helps me build my confidence, showing myself that I can overcome any obstacle big or small. The biggest challenge is keeping my strong mind set during the run considering the terrain, the elements, and the weather.”
Baseem Arlene Salgado, two-time participant of the women’s race Native 5K division said about the event, “I enjoy the course because it’s different from the previous one. Sheldon always plans a course to test our abilities both physically and mentally. The hills are always challenging. Finishing is such a rewarding experience and it reaffirms that I am capable of completing a 5K.”
Eric Clifton, Ultra Running Hall of Fame legend shares his experience running the Open Marathon at the 2026 Noli Indian School Trail Races, “I have done a few rez races (mostly in NM, AZ and CA) and they all are more like old school races where there are smaller fields but more friendly, homey and congenial. A lot of these races have Native American ceremonies at the start, sometimes at the finish and usually have different, more interesting awards. They certainly present a whole different culture from what most races have and this year there were Indigenous singers and they did three or four songs with dances which I really enjoyed.”
Clifton continues, describing his appreciation for races on Native lands or organized by Native communities, “I love running on Native land, being on the ground of the original stewards. I try to imagine the history and lifestyles of the people who live(d) there through the ages. For my trail running experience I feel more in touch with the earth.”
Steep in grade, steeped in cultural history
The Soboba lands, on which the Noli Indian school Trail Races are held, are rich in native history. The area is home to the federally recognized Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, who have Luiseño and Cahuilla ancestry. The reservation extends 9,000 acres near the San Jacinto Mountains and city of San Jacinto, CA. Historically the Soboba peoples occupied the surrounding metropolitan areas San Jacinto, Hemet, Valle Vista and Winchester.
Donovan speaks to the supportive relationship between the races and the local community, “The tribal components of this race make it very special. The whole community supports it, and we involve the fire department, public safety and many major organizations within the tribe. Tribal members perform bird singing, blessings and tie the event deeply into the culture. This is what makes these races stand out from other running events.”
Looking forward to 2027, Donovan is excited to share his hopes for next year’s event, “This race has been so great for the community. While hosting more races would be good, we currently plan to stick to this one event and to keep expanding it to reach more communities and people on the reservation. We want to get the name of this race out there and hopefully see it grow to support our community even more in the coming years.”
What is NATRO?
NATRO, founded by Sheldon Subith in 2021, aims to support Native participation in trail racing. Since its inception, NATRO has supported native communities through partnering with native race directors and organizations to expand trail racing opportunities. While still in its developmental years, NATRO has focused largely on expanding opportunities in the San Jacinto area where Subith resides.
Subith shares NATRO’s future goals and current mission for growth, “NATRO is still growing and promoting a healthy lifestyle one RUNNER at a time. I hope we can help other reservations start their own races so we can eventually host a National Championship race for Native runners.”
Scott Mills, long-time supporter of NATRO said about Subith’s dedication to the cause of supporting Native runners, “Sheldon Subith selflessly created a race to inspire and introduce young aspiring Native American runners the opportunity to challenge themselves and gain self esteem. Sheldon’s passion, selflessness, leadership, and organizational skills have had an unbelievable positive impact throughout the Noli Indian School community. His creation of the NATRO organization will have far reaching opportunities for the future of running on Indian Reservations and local communities.”
Curious to learn more about the founding of NATRO? Read our story here.
Would you like to learn more about NATRO’s involvement in the local Soboba Tribal community? Read our story of the first NATRO Soboba race in 2024 here.
Want to support the Noli Indian School Trail Races? Please contact race director Sheldon Subith at ssubith@soboba-nsn.gov
