Written for Ridge Trails Council Newsletter Summer/Fall 2021

Connecting Trails for Lucas

Connection is one of the key missions of the Ridge Trail—connecting people to nature and connecting people to one another. One person who embodied the spirit of connection was Lucas Horan (February 1981–December 2020). Lucas was a spontaneous and joyful nature enthusiast and ultra-runner, and his boundless energy inspired those around him. As a scientist at Eureka Therapeutics, Lucas was a creative force devoted to finding innovative ways to re-engineer the body’s immune system to fight cancer. 

In a show of both his love of adventure and boundless enthusiasm, Lucas circumnavigated the San Francisco Bay via the Ridge Trail not once, but twice. In 2017, it took him just 8 days to complete the journey, stopping only to eat and sleep. During that time on the trail, Lucas fell in love with the beauty of the area, and became passionate about connecting the trails to create one continuous loop for everyone to experience and enjoy. During his 2nd trip around the Ridge Trail in 2019, each time he saw a blue Ridge Trail marker along his route he “got a little burst of energy and felt a special connection to everyone that shares the vision of a Bay Area Ridge Trail.”

Lucas had the incredible ability to form real and lasting connections with folks, even after a short jaunt out on the trails. That spirit of connection is what inspired his friends and family to partner with the Ridge Trail to create a memorial fund in his honor. Close to $50,000 has been contributed, and it will be used to build a memorial bridge dedicated to Lucas in the East Bay Parks along the future Garin to Niles Canyon section of the Ridge Trail.  Additional funds will be used to help connect other gaps in the Ridge Trail and support programs to make the trail more accessible. You can honor Lucas and his legacy by making a gift to the Lucas Horan Memorial Fund at: ridgetrail.org/lucasmemorial