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72-mile Tahoe Ultra run added to Tahoe Marathon Race Week |
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Written by Staff reports
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Wednesday, 21 June 2006 |
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New to the Lake Tahoe Marathon Race Week (September 26 through October 1) roster is the 72-Mile Tahoe Ultra, an endurance run designed to test athletes at the top of their game.
“This is an intense endurance race,” said Race Director Les Wright of the Lake Tahoe Marathon. “But we’ve found our niche and it’s attracting runners from all over the country. Many participants who regularly run 100-mile races.”
The Tahoe 72-Mile Ultra is scheduled to start just after midnight at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 30 on Highway 89 just north of South Lake Tahoe, California. Participants will completely circle Lake Tahoe (counter clockwise), a 72-mile loop, and will finish with the Lake Tahoe marathoners and other runners later that afternoon at South Shore’s Pope Beach.
Among the runners is Pam Reed of Tucson, Arizona, a mother of five (three and two stepchildren) and the director of the Tucson Marathon, who was the first woman to win the Badwater Ultramarathon - a 135-mile run from Badwater, the lowest point in the country to the slopes of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48.
Reed, who stands at 5’3” and weighs 100 pounds, has completed more marathons, 50-milers and 100s than she can count. She is a regular participant in the Western States 100, Leadville 100 and Wasatch 100, and has appeared on many media outlets, including “60 Minutes.” Reed will share distance-running tips as a keynote speaker at the Lake Tahoe Marathon’s Tahoe Triple and Tahoe Ultra dinner scheduled for Wednesday, September 27 at the Horizon Casino Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California.
According to Wright, there will be a total race time limit of 16 hours. Participants are encouraged to carry a headlamp, flashers and wear reflective clothing. They will need their own support vehicle and crew for the first 46 miles. There will be a timer at mile 50 to record runners’ 50-mile times for other race qualifications, such as the Western States 100 (11 hours is the qualifying time). The Lake Tahoe marathoners will begin their race at 8 a.m. at mile 46, Commons Beach in Tahoe City. The last 26.2 miles, the official marathon course along the West Shore, will be supported by marathon staff, volunteers and community groups. Cost is $110 per runner.
Other events
The organization will also host the 35 and 72-Mile Cycle Race or Ride Friday, September 29. Biking participants will begin at Zephyr Cove, Nevada on the East Shore and will ride clockwise around Lake Tahoe (for 72 miles) ending back at the start line. For the 35-mile course, cyclists will start at Tahoe City and end at Zephyr Cove.
A great success its first year, the 20-Mile Power Walk and Run, which starts at Homewood, California on the West Shore, is back and set for September 30. This non-competitive event is open to recreational walkers and runners.
The Marathon event, coined “a Saturday morning run you’ll never forget,” is also scheduled for September 30 and starts at Tahoe City’s Commons Beach on the North Shore (8:30 a.m. for marathoners and 8 a.m. for elite women runners). The race winds down the West Shore and wraps up for a post-run bash at Pope Beach.
Points of interest include Emerald Bay, home to Lake Tahoe’s only island and castle, which is one of the most photographed places in the world.
The Half Marathon and 10K event, scheduled for the same date, are also held on the West Shore with the Half Marathon beginning at Rubicon Bay and the 10K staring at Emerald Bay’s Inspiration Point, an incredibly scenic, 99 percent downhill run. The Half Marathon sells out so interested participants are advised to register early for this event. There’s also a Marathon Relay and Wheelchair event.
Lake Tahoe Marathon Race Week will also host a Three-Day Triathlon beginning Thursday, September 28 featuring kayaking or swimming, cycling and running.
Also scheduled is Extreme Golf, where golfers run the course as they play then combine their time with their golf score to determine how they do.
For the toughest athletes, the Tahoe Triple starts Thursday, September 28, wrapping around the entire lake to meet up with Saturday marathoners for the final day of this grueling but breathtaking three-day ultra race. For short distance runners, a 5K Race is scheduled for the morning of Sunday, October 1 at Valhalla Historic Estates in South Lake Tahoe. A free Kids’ Fun Run, sponsored by the South Lake Tahoe Optimist Club, will follow the 5K event. Children run in one-year age groups, starting at two years up to 12, in age-appropriate distances. All kids will receive a medal and lunch at the finish line. Participants can have their names on their race bibs if they register online (this is free).
Last year’s Lake Tahoe Marathon drew 2,500 people from 26 states and generated 6,000 room nights for the Lake Tahoe area. For more information or to register, call 530-544-7095 or visit the Lake Tahoe Marathon website at www.laketahoemarathon.com. The web site is also home to a course map and profile.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 June 2006 )
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