I just ran the 2007 Biz marathon. It is a beautiful, remote course. Aid stations were well stocked. We had the option of starting at 7:30 AM...the temp in Susanville was a brisk 25 degrees! The water at the aid stations was frozen over. It was a brisk run. For those training in cooler temps, you will love it - for others...bring layers!

Having read past comments, I'll try to limit mine to new/additional details, in the order a new entrant would encounter: Get a hotel room early, as Susanville fills up quickly (although several local hotels are not on the internet). I stayed at the Bailey Creek Cottages and loved it, closer to the start than Susanville (and no, I have no affiliation with them). If Susanville is full, look at Westville or better yet Chester, CA. Get to the start 30 mins+ prior to bus departure to get a decent parking spot. Have some sweats for the bus ride and pre-race time (approx. 1 hour); it snowed 2 days before the 2007 event and was brisk at the start. A cap/gloves/toss-away long sleeve shirt make sense (and boxes at aid stations are there for the ditched clothing). No water or trash cans at the starting area, at least none I could see; plenty of toliets but no food/aid/gels, etc. Bring your own. Efficient but super low key start. No complaints for aid stations; well stocked and helpful volunteers for middle of the pack runners like me. No need to schlep your fanny pack with bottles unless you can't wait 2 miles for fluids. Mile markers accurately placed; aid staions every 2. VERY limited mid-course access. Really non-existent except for the mile 20 station and the mile before the finish. Course is hard on the quads with the almost imperceptible downhill slant; TRAIN for downhills. It's a trail run; no toliets except at the halfway point, but lots of trees and no one will look/care if you duck out. No chip timing but the field is so small those at the back probably lost...1 minute?, if that, getting to the start line. Most important: This is NOT a polished, pampered event. It has the feel of a local, low key event so if you're confused about something, ask but keep it cool. This isn't Chicago or NYC with massive resources. A fun, great run on a sublimely scenic course. Fast, but train the (slight) downhills; harder than it seems. I set a PR here but was slower than I'd hoped (geez...will I ever be satisfied :-)??). Nonetheless I would definitely do this again, fun. Good luck!

I want to thank Eric and all his staff for their planning and efforts. My husband and I had a wonderful experience running in the Lassen National Forest. The smooth and gently sloping trails...the scenery... the well-stocked aid stations...the logistics...all were excellent.

For those who love trail marathons, this is probably a very good one. I found the course to be mundane for the first half (how many pine trees can you look at?); pretty and more interesting the second half.

I ran this race when it was in its second year. The course was a very pretty place to have a course and the race had a lot of potential, but race organization needed improvement. Volunteers at packet pick-up were not only unhelpful and rude when we asked them questions. When I crossed the finish line and not a single person was paying attention, I was worried that my time wouldn't even be recorded and I had to tell them that I finished. The finish area organization was terrible; the 5K had much finished earlier, and all the volunteers were starting to leave - and there was no ice available either. I sent the race organizers an e-mail with some constructive comments on things they could improve on and received a rude "no thanks" in reply.

This was probably the most pleasant experience I have had at a marathon. The course and surface are fantastic if you are ready to get off the pavement. It is advertised as a fast course, but I think due to the elevation, a few of my companions and I ran PWs (personal worst times). It is fast for a trail race, but not fast for a marathon. This, however, did not detract from the experience. It is a beautiful place to run.

I don't really expect spectators at trail races, so the fact that there were any at all is pretty cool.

The Pros:
* Pretty course
* Gradual, downhill non-paved surface was easy on the joints
* Volunteers were friendly

The Cons:
* Moving the race start time one hour later, one week before the race. (This can cause travel headaches if you are on a tight schedule). The start time was changed again race morning.
* Not enough space on the bus (people had to stand for the hour-long bus ride).
* Lack of food at the finish.
* Toilets only at mile 14.
* No water at the start.
* Instead of giving a finisher's medal, a belt buckle with no year/date was given.

You can't beat the scenery, dry climate, and nice soft running surface. The aid stations were the most well-stocked I have seen for a race, particularly for the slower runners (they are usually running low or out by the time I get there) and were spaced the perfect distance apart. Volunteers were fabulous and spectators were great for a trail run (you don't expect to see anyone).

Two negatives: I was a bit disappointed with the post-race food--it was the same as found at the 12 aid stations. My body was craving something a little different. The other disappointment is that the finishers 'medal' was actually a western belt buckle that did not even have the year on it. Half marathoners got a medal. No fair!!

I will do this again. The view was spectacular. The miles seemed to fly by. I expected to finish with a faster time, but maybe the altitude played a factor. I would have liked to see an outhouse along the way. A runner with a nervous gut deserves more than a tree. I recommend the express half-marathon to everyone.

The course was great. The road was exactly what was to be expected, though seemed harder than expected. The two dark tunnels were tough to adjust to (i.e. running from dark to light toward the end of 26.2 miles!). I will go back next year!