Tracing the trail of trash

It’s not the end of this race that matters — it’s where it begins.

Saturday, members of the Surfriders Newport Beach chapter and various supporters are running nearly 30 miles along the Santa Ana River to highlight the fact that when it comes to trash in the water, the beginning is essentially everywhere. It’s the second annual RockWater Race.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, runners from four relay teams will start in the scenic forest-area off Green River Road in Riverside County and head out along the Santa Ana River trail, along the way handing off a small rock to the next leg in the race.

Organizers hope to one day start the run at the beginning of the river in Big Bear, but until then, the 28.8 miles participants will cover should make the point, organizers said.

The river’s path through Orange County exposes it to the entire region’s watershed; that’s 2,800 miles worth of people and their trash.

“The amount of trash you see is pretty even along the trail, it sort of depends on what’s going on,” said Robyn Vettraino, who helped launch the inaugural race last year. “Some of the residential areas, next to parking lots, you get a lot of trash dumped out from people’s cars ... Every little piece that you see really makes an effect.”

By the time you get to the river’s mouth in Newport Beach, she said, the amount of trash built up is “just astounding.”

The race is expected to last most of the day and has seven legs, with participants running lengths between three and seven miles.

Some runners may go longer than others, Vettraino said.

Each handoff point is conveniently near a place for vehicles to stop and most of the trail is paved.

If you don’t or can’t run, that’s OK.

Organizers said the race is less about the competition and more about the message behind it — every piece of trash in the water makes a harmful difference.

Some participants ride their bikes or even skateboard.

The top finishers will earn prizes, and everyone is invited to go to Fred’s restaurant not far from the finish line in Huntington Beach afterward.

Surfriders are still accepting participants.

For more information, go to www.surfridernb.com.

Reporter JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.