6:30 a.m.  Marathon Early Start Walk.  Starts on Commons Beach in Tahoe City. This is for marathoners who will finish over 6 hours. This is a non-competitive event, but still provides marathon finishers medals and marathon license plate frame holder. This is not designed as an early start for faster runners. Walkers will not be given a recorded time faster than 6 hours. With the early start Marathon Walkers have a 8 hour time limit. After that the bears eat you.

• 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 semi-closed lakeside lane. The north bound lane is not closed to traffic for the Marathon Walk.

• Stay on the shoulder of the road or bike paths all the way.

• There will be traffic in both directions until approximately the first running marathoner passes you. Then only sporatic local traffic passing you in the north bound lane.

• The first aid station will be  at about mile 4 for the early starters, but carry enough water for the first 6 miles.

• Consider lodging in Tahoe City on Saturday night

You get:

All finishers get a beautiful finishers medal
All marathon finishers receive a license plate holder.
All finishers get a beautiful long sleeve technical t-shirt at the expo or finish line which will be great for you winter training runs
Marathon Walkers get 8 hours to complete the course
Medical attention and aid on the course and finish line
Shuttle bus service to the start area and return after the event
Live Music, Hot dogs and drinks at the finish line
Traffic controlled course but there will be local traffic on the main road.
Through traffic is stopped at the south end of the course.
There will be almost zero traffic the last 12 miles.
The last 3.5 miles are on the bike path.

Register Here

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 VIP Lunch 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 start line. 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.  Enjoy the day, the beauty, and nice people you will be walking with on this Sunday morning you will never forget.