Lake Tahoe Marathons, Half Marathons, 10K & 16.6-Miler

Friday-Sunday, October 13-15, 2023 • South Lake Tahoe, CA • Course Maps

The half marathon races in the Lake Tahoe Marathon are just three of this big event’s series of running and outdoor events throughout the weekend. The event organizers offer both half and full marathons on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as bike races, a triple marathon and even a super-triple marathon (one 26.2-mile marathon each day for two days, plus a 72-mile ultra-marathon starting late on the second date).

Also offered are walking, kayaking, relay and kids’ events, making this event unique among U.S. races of its kind in the sheer scale and number of events going on simultaneously during the weekend. There are three 13.1-mile races: Friday’s Nevada Half Marathon, Saturday’s Carnelian Bay Half Marathon and Sunday’s Emerald Bay Half Marathon.

The site for the event is the beautiful shores of California’s Lake Tahoe, of course, on the state’s eastern border with Nevada, which provides plenty of scenic — and rugged — terrain for the weekend’s race events. The courses follow rolling terrain and include sights such as Eagle Falls and Inspiration Point, famous for its scene in the Meg Ryan movie City of Angels.

While the elevation for the race course is high — the half marathon courses begin at an elevation of about 6,500 feet above sea level and reaches a peak elevation of just over 7,000 feet above sea level — you’ll need to be ready for some high-elevation running. There are also some seriously challenging hills, especially in the Carnelian Bay course.

With such a huge set of events for the weekend, race organizers add that they welcome anyone who wants to participate in the Lake Tahoe half marathon in any way they wish — so the race is open to runners, walkers and joggers alike.

Photos of the Lake Tahoe Marathon by Rain Rannu/flickr

Race Weather & Climate

Located near the California-Nevada border at the southern end of the lake, roughly 110 miles northeast of Sacramento and about 200 miles northeast of San Francisco, South Lake Tahoe typically sees mild to sometimes very cold temperatures in October.

On race day (Oct. 13-15), the average low is 30ºF and the average high is 55ºF.

Past Results

Course Maps

See the race route maps for all three Lake Tahoe Half Marathons here.

Starting Times

  • 8:15 AM – Friday’s Nevada Half Marathon
  • 8:15 AM – Saturday’s Carnelian Bay Half Marathon
  • see event website – Sunday’s Emerald Bay Half Marathon

Fees

See race website

Registration

To reserve your spot in any of the race distances at the 2023 running of the Lake Tahoe Marathon races, register online at MarathonGuide.com here.

Official Race Website

www.laketahoemarathon.com

Comments

Ever run in any of the Lake Tahoe Half Marathons? Share your impressions here, as well as anything you learned about the race that you think other runners/walkers should know.

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