It was a wonderful day to hold the first annual Great Trail Race. Participants enjoyed the mild temps and sunshine on their quest to conquer the Truckee to Tahoe City race course. Big Blue Adventure and team did an awesome job laying out two exciting courses for the race. The Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team reported seeing lots of smiles and racers having a blast along the course. The finish line celebration was a blast with the music, vendors, BBQ and ice cold beverages for all. A special thank you to Sierra Nevada Brewing Company for their generous support of the event and TNSAR. The Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team was fortunate to take part in first annual Great Trail Race and to have partners like Big Blue Adventure, Todd Jackson and Chaco Mohler. The Great Trail Race will help TNSAR by contributing to our fundraising efforts. TNSAR is excited to be part of this Fall event and we are looking forward to a big winter and the 40th annual Great Ski Race the first Sunday in March 2017

Chris McConnell, President, Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue

Thanks for your kind words. The Great Trail Race was a terrific event! The course was a fun mix of single track and fire road and was very well marked. It’s always exciting to do a point to point run, and I loved that they provided a shuttle to the start. As someone who has participated in The Great Ski Race many times (my first time was 1994), I really enjoyed exploring that terrain in the summer. The after party was festive with plenty of beer flowing, delicious barbecue, and it was great to see some of my mountain biker friends; we’re not usually at the same events! I definitely recommend this race, especially since it benefits Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and has such a warm community feel. A huge thanks to the organizers and volunteers for putting on such a fun day. And for a top notch prize! I was fortunate enough to take home a six pack of beer and a pair Salomon shoes; fantastic!

Audrey Staples

I’ve been in Tahoe for 4 weeks training for the XTERRA World Champs. I have traveled for the past 4 years to various amazing places around the world searching for the ultimate training ground. I think this year I might have found it. The mountain biking in Tahoe is next level. There is an entity of single track that weaves its way through the mountains and I believe I could ride here for years on end and never get bored of the tracks or the incredible landscapes within this region. The Great trail race was a highlight of my time in Tahoe. It incorporated some of the best riding within the area and brought together a community of like mind mountain bikers. I only wish it was closer to the start of my time here rather than at the end. I believe this event has all the right components to build into one of the regions favorite events.

Braden Currie

Wanaka, New Zealand

It’s been 20 years since my last my last mountain bike race, but this one has a personal appeal. I raced the classic course in reverse two previous times, once I the mid- eighties on a cyclocross bike and in the mid- nineties on a mountain bike with a 52 tooth chain ring. It was a very fast coarse! Plenty of fast pedaling downhill on the way to Truckee.

I enjoyed this new coarse for a few reasons. It started right on the dirt of the 06 road with straight forward fire road flats and climbing. Then descended fast to the classic single track of the ” NORDIC CENTER”, as old locals call it. Finishing at Tahoe CrossCountry flips the Great Ski Race post party idea back to the start. I like the classic coarse just the way it was run. Don’t change it. It’s simple, fast, and fun!

John Goss

The Elite Mountain Bike course utilized some of the best single from start to finish which made for a challenging course and minimized the use of the 06 road. It seemed to be well marked and the aids stations where placed in ideal locations. Also I prefer the finish in TC. All in all a fun event for everyone!

Joe Pace

Marlette 50K Race Report - By Tahoe Trail Running Ambassador Ashley Hall

After 10+ years of only road racing, I had converted to mostly trail running and was looking for a race to help me transition from road racing to trail racing. I wanted a local race so I could practice parts of the course and a scenic course so that if all failed and I ran horribly, at least it would be pretty. The Marlette Lake 50K fit my criteria perfectly.

On race morning, the scene was calm, much calmer than any road race I have participated in. Luckily the heat wave had ended and it actually felt cold compared to the extremely hot month of July we had just endured. I was super nervous, but the vibe was happy and everyone was really encouraging and friendly. Also, being able to use real bathrooms was a total plus compared to the standard pre-race port-a-potty. We all meandered down to the lake for the pre-race meeting where the start procedure, aid station supplies, and course were discussed and everything started on time. And just like that, we were off. Despite my 25 road marathon completions, I was not too sure how fast to start. Since I was at a loss to what pace to head out at, I just got in a pack and went their pace. Within a mile we started climbing up the Tahoe Rim Trail to Snow Valley Peak, a segment I had practiced multiple times.

My first time practicing the Snow Valley Peak climb during my training, I attempted to run the entire way and when I got to the top I was dizzy and could barely muster a run on the downhill, and essentially walked the entire way back to my car. After speaking with some veteran trail runners, although frustrated and defeated, I went right back to Spooner Lake and gave the climb another try, this time with a strong emphasis on a fast hike. I made it up to the top only a few minutes slower than the first time and was able to run down at a surprisingly speedy pace. I repeated this training one more time prior to the race.

So there we were, trudging up to Snow Valley Peak and I am keeping my fast hike game on, knowing that near the top the sweet view would make it all worth it. I got to the spot where you can see Lake Tahoe and I knew I was close. I made it to the aid station at the top and I felt great. I filled up water, fueled up, admired some views, and took off downhill. I made it to the next aid station, which was right where I expected it (per my nerdy aid station mileage bracelet I made in preparation), as were all the aid stations, a key aspect to fueling properly for me during this race. I filled up, grabbed a fig bar and some sour patch kids and headed up the single track. This part of the course was new to me, but it was easy to stay on course despite being alone for a handful of miles. At one point, I thought I was coming up on another runner, but it ended up being a bear (my first bear sighting!). He was pretty easy going and moseyed across the trail, so I was able to keep on trucking up the climb after a brief stop; I assume he was hanging out there to cheer me on.

I had imagined the view at the top of this climb coming out of Hobart Reservoir would be good, but that was an outrageous understatement. Once you finish this uphill segment, around mile 16, which is the last giant climb, you come on to this overlook of Lake Tahoe and Marlette Lake that takes your breath away. I opened my arms into the breeze and ran across the ridge feeling an epic moment of bliss. The next section of the course was a variety of ups and downs and changing terrain, which made it go by quickly. It was also mostly in the trees, which was nice as the weather had started heating up quite a bit since we had started.

Soon enough, the course winds up on the Marlette Lake flume trail, a trail everyone should spend some time on for its pure beauty. I had figured the race would be smooth sailing after that point since the big climbs were done, but I underestimated that the flat-ish/kind of uphill 5 mile sandy section on the flume trail took some concerted effort to keep up the pace. The fact that you are staring at Lake Tahoe certainly takes the 20+ mile-into-the-race pain away, and the mountain bikers on the course cheered and were quite motivating, which was an added plus.

Once you hit mile 26, it is actually all downhill with short flat sections for the remainder of the race, which was great for me at that point. I was still feeling good, but I was getting tired and my quads were starting to feel it. I was way ahead of my "finish in 6 hours" goal, so at this point I just wanted to catch people, which I was able to do a few more times, keeping my motivation going.

Approaching the finish was a pretty amazing experience for me. The course finishes right at Spooner Lake, which is beautiful. There was music, food, beer, and high fives from strangers. My race went way better than I imagined. I will be back again next year.

Waddle Ranch Trail Half - Race Report by Big Blue Ambassador Mone' Haen

The Waddle Rach Half Marathon took place on June 4th, 2017 and is part of the Truckee Running Festival and the Tahoe Trail Running Series put on by Big Blue Adventure.

If you’re a local Truckee runner, you have likely “explo-run-ed” Waddle Ranch. If you haven’t, you should as it’s one of the many local trail running/hiking treasures that the area has to offer. The half marathon starts and finishes at Riverview Sports Park in a mini “race village” amongst very high-energy event staff, volunteers, announcer (can I please have whatever coffee he drinks in the morning) and participants. Besides the fact that there are 5K and 10K options for family and friends to run, the Park is a great place for spectators and family to hang out as there’s plenty to keep them busy along the lines of a playground, bocce court, the Truckee Bike Park, etc.

Once the Big Blue crew gives the pre-race speech, and the very enthusiastic GO signal is given, you’re off. The first 1.6 miles of the course is very flat (not Tahoe flat) and is comprised of getting out of the park itself, running a short distance on pavement (Joeger Drive) and then on fire road. Here you pass behind the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District Bus Dispatch Center. If you’ve ever been late to pick up your kid from the bus, you’ve likely been here to collect him/her (not that I would know anything about that). Anywhooooooo…… It’s a pretty meadow with scenic views to the east.

At 1.6 miles you begin a short climb on pavement which takes you up to Martis Creek Road. The climb itself is only about a quarter of a mile, but you then stay on pavement for about a mile. I know pavement – ew, but the views of Martis Valley, Martis Creek Lake and Waddle Ranch (where you’ll be running) are very pretty, so consider it an opportunity to look around before you have to pay attention to not tripping on rocks.

After you cross the dam (at about 2.2 miles into the race), you finally hit dirt via Matt’s Trail in the Waddle Rach Preserve. It’s relatively flat for about three-quarters of a mile and then you start to climb – for a solid mile. You’ll gain about 450 feet in elevation in this mile. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it will put your legs and your lungs to the test. The trail here is mostly single track with some wider sections that look like they used to be fire roads. Run as much as you can – it’s only a mile. You peak out where Matt’s Trail intersects with Sawmill Road (don’t let the term fool you – it’s a fire road) and then you descend.

The descent is fast since Sawmill Road is fairly “groomed” and doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear from runoff or loose rock. After about 1.2 miles, you divert off of Sawmill Road and back onto single track for a bit more technical running. This section lasts for just about a mile and then you re-connect with Sawmill Road and run just under a half-mile to the turnaround.

Now begins your second ascent. The whole half marathon course has about 1,200 feet in total elevation gain, so that 450 feet you descended down before, you now have to climb back up. This section spreads the climb out over two miles so while it’s a bit gentler than your first climb, it seems like it lasts FOREVER. At 7.9 miles into the course you veer off of Sawmill Road and back onto single track via Erika’s Trail. You climb for about a half mile here and then begin a pretty technical (read rocky) decent. I constantly have to remind myself here to watch my ankles, stay on my toes and don’t let the feet get sloppy. That steep, technical descent lasts for about 3/4 of a mile and then it opens up onto less technical ground. At 9.5 miles the course flattens back out, albeit at a very gradual climb out to the pavement. Once you’re on the pavement, it’s a fast and flat return into the park where family, friends and spectators will be awaiting your arrival along with beer and a BBQ!