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Lake Tahoe Marathon & Half Marathon Weekend
October 19, 2025
South Lake Tahoe
Road
100-500
Some Hills
Lakefront
High: 55°
/ Low: 30°
Overview
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.
Course Description
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.
