This was a great event. The race organizer had to re-mark the course and reroute the shuttle buses the day of the race because it snowed. They didn't miss a beat and the race went off without a hitch. The trail for the Express 1/2 is beautiful - it runs mostly along the river. One warning: book your room early or you will have to stay pretty far out of town.

I really enjoyed the Bizz Johnson marathon. The course was really great. The first 7 miles are up a little, and while not a hard climb, it did slow everyone down a little. Then the rest was down and great. Everywhere you looked, it was just beautiful. I would have to remind myself to look around every now to take it in. It was amazing!
I loved the early 7:30 am start. I was happy to not be in the sun exposed part of the course 1.5 hours later with the 9 am start.
The stations were well stocked and every 2 miles. There was not much of a crowd until you join up with the 1/2 marathon at mile 20, but that was OK, it was nice and peaceful in the woods.
The shirt and medal design was great. I would recommend an upgrade of the shirts to something techincal, the race director had one but we just got cotton!
I am a low lander and we arrived in Reno Wednesday night. Ran in Tahoe on Thursday and we did feel the altitude. When we jogged on Saturday, no effects. On race day, my legs felt slightly more tired than I would expect then to feel early in the race (mile 13ish), keeping me from wanting to push at all, but it was not a big effect. I also did feel a little sick in the stomach, but nothing serious. So minimal effects. In the end, I was happy with my time. Not a PR, but a great race!

This was my first ever marathon, so I don't have anything to compare it to, except to other non-running events I've done (paddling, and cycling).
I gave the course 5 stars for the scenery, and that you couldn't really get 'lost in the woods'. (Easy to follow trail, and along the way there was a guy checking off your bib # on a sheet: accounting for all runners.) Got a kick out of the crowd singing the Star-Spangled Banner before the Start, and the fellow with the megaphone cheering us on (at out and back start) 'You don't need bands!...Who needs cheering crowds the whole way...We have trails! We have trees!...'
Organization 4 stars, only because we had to ask where to drop off the special needs bags at registration (quickly rectified by the guy in charge); missed the Mile 9 Drop Off because we chose the Early Start and passed that point a little after 9 a.m. but the bags weren't out there yet. Plenty of water/gatorade/food at all the other stops though. Food was out at the stations by 9 a.m.(?) but I relied on my Drop-Off bags instead. Thanks to all the volunteers!
Lots of portapotties at the Start...no wait for the ones at Mile 14, and didn't need to use the ones at Mile 20..maybe a couple more at the finish?
I wish the lanterns were up for that last tunnel though...for me, it was real hard to see anything! Glad I didn't trip on a rock, or step into a hole (The lanterns were piled up at the front of the tunnel, not hung up inside.)
Nice to have the mylar sheets at the finish, and more water, watermelon, potato chips, cookies (animal and vanilla creme)!
Spectators - 3 stars, to average out the quality (5 stars) vs. quantity (1 star)! Not many spectators (but then, this is a trail marathon!) but the ones that were out, were great!

First marathon and could not have picked a better one.... They sang the national anthem at the start. It was run on a great, downhill course with amazing scenery.

Wow! I loved this marathon! This was my third marathon and fastest yet. The course was beautiful and quiet. Not a lot of spectators, but I knew that going in. Aid stations were every two miles and well stocked. Race director was okay, not great, and I'm not sure why he had to put his name on the back of everyone's medal...! Kind of cheesy, if you ask me. No expo to speak of. No tech shirts; only a cotton t-shirt. Overall, a great marathon course.

This was my first marathon, so I don't have a lot to compare. The scenery was pretty, but very monotonous for the first 18 miles. I must say that at very few points did I feel like I was running down in elevation at all, so if you are just starting marathons and want an "easy" marathon, I am not sure this marathon, at this elevation, would be considered "easy." The other marathoners were very supportive, and enthusiastic. Eric was very encouraging at the start of the race, and provided us with relaxing pre-race humor. There was a gentleman at the registration pick-up that was quite rude, and simply did not have time to answer questions. I did notice later that when an experienced-looking runner asked him questions, he was more responsive. I do not believe that this was Eric, the race coordinator. There were a couple of stations that had run out of gel by the time I got there, and I was about middle of the 2nd start pack. Overall it was a good experience for me. Not a lot of fluff or fanfare after the race. Pretty much take your medal and leave. They were out of water at the finish line within 10 minutes after I finished. The marathon is young, and I am sure will continue to become better organized.

I have to admit that the elevation was a bit tough for me, coming directly from sea level. But the race course is spectacularly beautiful, the aid stations were incredibly well stocked, even for the 7:30 a.m. start time, and the other runners were super friendly. Because of the remote setting, spectators were very few and far between, but those few were very supportive and certainly helped keep me going in those last few miles. Thanks!

The organizers did a terrific job of organizing two half marathons, a marathon, a 10K and a 5K all in one weekend! The race course for the marathon was beautiful trail. The aid stations had a wide variety of goodies to choose from and the volunteers were cheerful despite the cold. I had initially worried about the logistics of the marathon going from 300 to 700 runners. The early start provided options for everyone.

This was the first time for me and my wife at this event and we were largely unimpressed by the organization and utterly disgusted at the behavior of the race director, Eric Gould. My wife and I have been competing for over 20 years in events ranging from small local affairs to world class races such as the Ironman, Boston Marathon and Sao Silvestre. We have also been part of the organization in hundreds of races both large and small. It is one thing to have a few problems - that cannot be avoided. It is another to make conscious decisions that show absolutely no respect for the participants. Mr. Gould falls into the latter category.

When we attempted to pick up our race packet (nothing more than a bib number), we were told to produce a photo ID or else we'd get no bib number. Even though this tidbit was never part of the pre-race information, this made no difference to Mr. Gould. Many runners were sent back to their hotels, often an hour an half away in Reno, to get an ID.

On race morning, for some inexplicable reason, Mr. Gould delayed the departure of all of the buses for over 30 minutes (not just a few buses, but all of them). Even though the pre-race information stated the buses would begin to leave promptly at 7:15, this made no difference to Mr. Gould. We arrived at the start line just 30 minutes before the start of the race. For many of us, this is not nearly enough time to wait for a porta-john, warm up in 35-degree weather, stretch, and be ready to go. For me, this decision ruined any chance I had of running a decent time.

At the start line Mr. Gould announced that all the gear bags would be taken to the depot, which is over a mile away from the finish. He followed this announcement with the comment, "And no whining! That's where they will be." Even though this made absolutely no sense, one began to see a pattern to Mr. Gould's behavior and decision-making. Yet the gear bags never arrived at the depot. In fact they never arrived at the finish line either, until almost 4 hours after the start. And then there were no race officials to unload the bags. All of the bags were unloaded and organized by runners who had finished, were beginning to cramp up and get cold and needed their gear. All the while Mr. Gould watched this and never attempted to help. When asked why it had taken so long for these to arrive, Mr. Gould answered, "Things happen."

The unique belt buckles that had been awarded to the finishers in prior years had been replaced by, yes, cheesy medallions on a blue ribbon. But it gets better. The backs of the medallions are inscribed with Mr. Gould's name along with an advertisement promoting one of Mr. Gould's upcoming races! (Yes, fellow runners, this is absolutely true.)

There were a number of other issues which have already been posted here (inaccurate finish times, frozen aid stations, no water at the start, unlit and potentially dangerous tunnels, no response to emails, disrespectful responses to emails, etc.). Yet what is most troubling was Mr. Gould's complete disregard for the information and guidelines that had been published along with the seemly endless decisions that were at best arbitrary and capricious. Mr. Gould has displayed a lack of respect that I have never witnessed before - ever. Yet he is unconcerned that all of us have been training for 6, 8 or even 12 months, invested a great deal of money and time off to travel there and have put their hearts and souls into their efforts.

I would encourage everyone who had a similar experience to formalize their concerns to the City of Susanville and the directors of the Lassen Land and Trails Trust. This race has the potential to be a wonderful marathon and a signature event for Susanville, but it will eventually sputter and disappear as long as Mr. Gould has any involvement.

A group of us from Juneau, AK traveled to Reno/Susanville this fall to participate in the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon/Half Marathon. We had a great time beginning with a Veterans of the Marine Corps breakfast for only $4 that we heard about on the radio while driving into town. The scenery on the run was phenomenal, which always helps to make those last few miles move along a little better. The RD was from out of out town (San Francisco) and that was evident in that the Community of Susanville didn't appear to be involved in the marathon preparations. We asked a few people around town if they knew that there were runners in town for a race and no one knew anything about it. My suggestion to the RD would be to get more community involvement in the race. Delegation can be very empowering. That being said, we had a great race and we appreciate the RD's efforts in putting together this trail marathon.