In summer 1906, Southern Californian’s were eagerly anticipating the “Run Around the Kite,” an automobile endurance event advertised as the “greatest in the history of the motor world.”
The event would be held on June 29 and 30 and the promoters boasted more than 200 cars would participate in the 160-mile challenge.
Automobiles were still a novelty in the early 1900s, and manufacturers, dealers, and owners were eager to test their machines and prove their worth in endurance tests or “runs.”
The early endurance runs were often social events, where the driver/owner would bring his wife, family, and friends along for the adventure. Automobiles improved rapidly, and the friendly runs evolved into competitions, pitting machines and drivers against each other.
The Run Around the Kite was unique because the course would travel through cities across the region, giving residents an opportunity to witness a major automobile competition on city streets and rural roads.
The course followed the Santa Fe Railroad’s “kite-shaped-track,” a 160-mile railroad route that formed a gigantic figure-eight across Southern California. The larger loop of the figure-eight was in the west, beginning in Los Angeles, and the smaller loop encircled the San Bernardino Valley. Santa Fe used the route as a tourist excursion to promote real estate sales and growth in the region.
Los Angeles automobile dealer Leon T. Shettler, who conceived the “Kite Run” as it became known, became the main promoter and coordinator of the event. The event was sponsored by the Los Angeles Automobile Dealers Association
Shettler became a local folk hero for achieving a string of successful, and sometimes outlandish endurance tests and competitions, using automobiles from his dealership. One of his tests included driving a Reo light touring car up the steps of the Los Angeles courthouse to demonstrate its climbing ability.
Course officials groomed the route paying special attention to minimizing problems with the sandy roads and the “dreaded river fords” in the Santa Ana River Canyon, west of Corona. At one of the worst fords, a culvert was installed, and the road’s surface was covered with gravel.
Two hundred fifty officials were recruited to man checkpoints, perform inspections, provide gasoline, and generally manage the participants. Since gas stations were still a thing of the future, event managers had to secure 2,500 gallons of gasoline for delivery to Riverside, the only location where participants were allowed to refuel.
When competition day arrived, promotors were only able to gather 110 participants, which was still considered a huge number of automobiles for such an event.
Endurance events often had a complex set of rules that if not followed would result in the loss of points — the Kite Run was no exception.
Each car started the event with 1,000 points, a full tank of gas, and a full supply of oil and water. Vehicles were weighed so the exact fuel consumption could be measured at the end. Repairs or adjustments of any type cost points and lost time.
The run would begin at Eighth and Broadway in Los Angeles at 6:55 am, with individual automobiles released at 2 minute intervals. The speed limit was 10 mph in towns, and no more than 20 mph on rural roads. Participants were divided into two divisions, with Division 1 stopping for a 1 hour lunch in Redlands, and Division 2 stopping for a 1 hour lunch in Pomona.
At some points along the route, entire towns lined the course to cheer for the participants. The locals also helped the drivers with directions along the route.
Both divisions would stop in Riverside for the night, and participants would place their vehicles in a monitored automobile “corral,” so no unrecorded repairs or adjustments could be made.
Participants and officials would be lodged at the Mission Inn and other nearby Riverside hotels.
Shettler’s Reo was the first automobile to leave Los Angeles, and the first to arrive at the Riverside checkpoint, just after noon. However, he was penalized 24 points for not stopping at Redlands for the mandatory lunch break.
Next in was R.C. Hamlin’s Franklin automobile, containing Mr. and Mrs. Hamlin, and Mr. and Mrs. William G. Dandy. The third automobile to arrive came in with no point deductions, and a perfect score. It was C.S. Anthony’s 1905 Elmore, which carried Mr. and Mrs. Anthony, their two children, and an observer.
The Mission Inn booked the entire hotel for the event, and provided extravagant decorations and an extraordinary dinner for the guests. At 10 p.m., a fireworks display was set off on Riverside’s Mt. Rubidoux.
On Sunday morning, the participants collected their automobiles from the corral, and prepared to be on their way — the first vehicle leaving at 7 a.m.
Most vehicles made it through the Santa Ana River canyon with minimal trouble, but a few cars had to be dislodged from the soft sand. Leon Shettler broke an axle on his Reo near Santa Ana, and was not able to finish the course.
Miss B. Arnold of Long Beach was the only woman to drive the entire course. She drove a 35 horsepower Tourist automobile. She lost a few points the first day with a slipping clutch but had a perfect score the second day.
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, each automobile underwent a full inspection, including running on an open muffler so the judges could determine if the machine was firing on all cylinders. The remaining gasoline was measured, and the cars were weighed to calculate efficiency. With 41 vehicles achieving perfect scores, fuel efficiency and mechanical condition ultimately determined the winners in the 6 classes.
The Run Around the Kite was a huge success that promoted the viability of the automobile, and garnered national attention for Southern California motorists. Only a handful of automobiles failed to make the full course, and the event was deemed a triumph.
Mark Landis is a freelance writer. He can be reached at historyinca@yahoo.com.
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