After 45 years, the legendary "Eppie's Great Race" crossed its own finish line Saturday morning in Rancho Cordova.
It was the final race after years of low attendance and organizers decided the 45th race would be the last one, but they also wanted the race to be the best yet.
Saturday's turnout was record breaking, seeing more than 2,000 people run, bike, and kayak.
"It was absolutely amazing because we hit our record number of participants which is awesome and just that sea of people crossing the start line, I love it," said George Johnson, Eppie's son.
Johnson was just about to turn 6 years old when his father started the race in 1974.
"It's always tough for something that's been going for 45 years most of my life that it comes to the end but we are optimistic and we are happy because it's going out the way my dad would have wanted, which is with an explosion," George said.
Johnson is nostalgic, but he knows his father would want the last year to be the best year.
"We really can't see this thing fade away. That would not do any service to the event. We just said lets go out and do it big," he said.
Saturday's race proves many people don't want to see it end, but Johnson says it has too because he wants to honor his father for the life he lived, which was bold, strong and determined to the end.
"My dad was 45 when he started this and it's the 45th event so it's awesome," he said.