Runners in the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon, Half Marathons, 50K & 10K get one of those rare treats seldom found at any race event, whether road race or trail race — a course that’s nearly all downhill, which has helped it become known as the “fastest marathon in the West,” according to race organizers.
There’s actually two half marathons at this race — the first on Saturday, known as the Bizz Johnson Half Marathon, and the second on Sunday, the Bizz Johnson Express Half Marathon.
Sunday’s half starts at the midway point of the full marathon course (which took place the preceding day), and runs through California’s Lassen National Forest all the way to the finish line in nearby Susanville, with really only one significant hill during the entire race.