Virtual Views

See a 360 degree view of the start line on  Commons Beach in Tahoe City.
Spin the view with your mouse sideways or up and down. Start line is on the lawn next to the large cottonwood
tree just a few feet from the waters edge. You are standing 20 yards behind the start line.

See the 360 degree  view from above the 4 mile mark area from the top of Eagle Rock

See Taylor Creek at the 24 Mile Mark. Spawning Kokanee Salmon. Look for the bridge you will cross.

The Tahoe Midnight Express  72 Miler This is a resurrected event that started back in the 70's and run  sporadically over the years. The LTM version starts  near Pope Beach at mid-night and finishes with the regular marathon. Ultra's will  cover the first 46 miles and join in with the regular Marathon in Tahoe City if you do the first 46 miles in 8 or 8.5 hours.

8  a.m.  Tahoe 20 Mile Power Walk or Jog  This is a non-competitive event for walker- joggers. There will be finishers medals and timed finishers results, but no competitive awards. This is designed for the power walker, but a runner can use it as a training run for a future marathon event. The start will be near  the Homewood Ski/ West Shore Cafe area which is the 10K mark of the regular marathon.

8 a.m. Marathon  Women: This is a special start for women who are competing for the $500 or $1000 purse.  The winning women must maintain her lead over the first man in order to claim the $1000 purse. The first women receives a minimum of $500. Any women who wants to win the purse and be considered Marathon Champion must use this start time.

8 a.m. Marathon Relays- 5 Person and 2 Person Relay

8:28 a.m. Chair and Crank combined starts.

8:30 a.m.  start  

• Marathon men & women (anyone who will finish faster than 8 hours)
• All Triple Marathoners

• The start is on the grass area of Commons Beach just a few steps from the water in Tahoe City.
  Commons Beach park has recently completed redevelopment and provides several flush toilets at the start area, besides the marathon port-a-potties.

• The course begins with a slight uphill out of Commons Beach, through the Tahoe Marina Hotel parking lot and onto Mackinaw Street to Fanny Bridge and then down Highway 89 heading south in the closed lakeside lane. The north bound lane is closed to traffic. There will be traffic on your right side in the  southbound lane. 

• The first aid station will be in front of Sunnyside Resort at about mile 2.1.

Run through the lakefront village of Homewood and Homewood Ski area at mile 6.
Run through the village of Tahoma at mile 8.
A small hill between mile 9-10 and then down to lake level again at Meeks Bay (mile 11).
Wooded areas with lake views between miles 9-11.

From mile 11 at Meeks Bay to 13.2 is a long moderate climb up to Rubicon  passing majestic vistas of Lake Tahoe. Where the Half Marathon joins the course at Glen Street and Rubicon Realty begins about a nice scenic downhill 2 miles  until you approach the "Hill from Hell" at mile 15.2. From there until the top at 16.8 you will climb up about 520'. Bagpipes will urge you on to the top.

At the top of the Hill from Hell, you will roll down and then back up to 18 mile mark and get your first look at Emerald Bay and immediately start down hill to Eagle Falls Trail Head. You will be looking into the Desolation Wilderness as you coast down hill. At mile 19 you will head back up hill (200' gain) about 9/10th of a mile to Inspiration Point, which is the start line for the 10K. From here to the finish is all downhill or flat. At mile 22.5 you will turn off the road onto the final bike path to the finish line at Pope Beach.

At mile 24 you go over Taylor Creek Bridge and the spawning fire cracker red Kokanee salmon.

At about mile 24.2  you will turn left onto Heritage Road and run towards the lake and enter the path that skirts the shore line of Lake Tahoe while running past historic mansions in the Valhalla Historical Estates . 

You will loop back out of the estates to Camp Richardson Resort and join the bike path again along the highway continuing to the entrance of Pope Beach. Turning  into Pope Beach's main entrance you will be running directly to the lake and when you make the right turn you will be at mile 26 and see the finish line dead ahead.

As you cross the finish line, you will be greeted with a smile, a finishers medal will be put around your neck and given a bottle of water. Medical attention will be available if needed and your warm up bag will be nearby.

Think about the optional Gourmet Brunch as an option  (below right).

You may want to grab a cold beer before  wading  into the cold blue waters of  Lake Tahoe to sooth your tired feet before heading over and getting  a hot dog and goodies.

 If you get into town too late to go to the expo you may pick up your shirt at the finish line and your race number at the Horizon Casino Resort race morning and then board the shuttle buses to the start line. If you are not staying at the Horizon, use their free parking that morning. Marathon buses go around the East side of the lake via Incline Village and do not go through town.

The back of your race bib will have the bus schedule and a lot of other important information.

Bring your camera, and prepare to be impressed by the sheer beauty of the course. There is little  chance of a PR because this course will be all you can handle, so enjoy the day, the beauty, and nice people you will be running with.