The Bizz Johnson Marathon is, by far, my favorite marathon! It takes place in a beautiful mountain setting during cool fall weather. The trail is perfectly groomed and wonderful to run! The historical connection is interesting, and the course gentle on the knees! Aid is every 2 miles, and always given with a smile! What a great race!!

Tunnels, trees in fall splendor, rushing water, water stops stocked with ample supplies supported by friendly people.... I ran the 1/2 marathon and will come back next year for the full, if healthy.

I thought it was very well organized and they even thought of having 2 separate drop off sites on the course to drop clothes. It was my first marathon but I have run many half marathons and this was by far one of the best organized races. The only thing I would change is that they didn't use chips for the timing and my watch time was 2 minutes faster than my results time...and I started my watch at the gun...hmmm...good thing my time was well under the Boston Qualifying time or I'd be pretty hot about it. The fans...well there weren't any. There were only a couple of places where spectators could watch so it was very peaceful.

The Bizz Johnson Marathon was an unforgettable experience! I have raved about this marathon to all of my friends! None of them joined me in training and all of them missed the magnificent setting of this wonderful event! Learning about the history of the trail at the pre-race dinner really added to the enjoyment of participating in this marathon! I was also impressed with how well the stations were stocked along the route. With the addition of the early start, those of us who are not typically at "the front of the pack," were able to see the winners pass by and vicariously enjoy their victory before it had occurred. Truly, I predict that the Bizz Johnson Marathon will quickly become one of the premier trail runs in the US!

The course was absolutely beautiful! The aid stations were well-stocked and the volunteers were wonderful! The race director had a great sense of humor and put everyone at ease at the beginning of the marathon. The buses were on time and the check-in registration was well organized. The only problem I had was the high altitude.... I wish the trail was at lower elevation. I lost my medal and had to email the director for a replacement. He was very gracious and was willing to send me another one free of charge. He was a gem!

From reading previous years' comments, particularly those about the race organization, I was a little apprehensive about running this race. Nevertheless, I was very pleasantly surprised by how smoothly everything went. Eric did a good job of helping all of us "type A" runners keep things in perspective. The aid stations were exactly where they had been promised and were better stocked than any race I have run. As far as the race itself, I loved running in the cooler temperatures and on the soft (maybe a total of 20 yards of asphalt) but smooth trail. The conditions were just about perfect and I look forward to running this race again.

Stunningly disorganized - never acknowledged my registration, changed the start time by 1 1/2 hours with no advance notice via email, had the wrong name/bib number when I checked in (which they said they'd fix but didn't), only had plain trash bags for gear drop-off, no race packet (just a bib & short sleeved cotton t-shirt), lost the stuff I left at a designated drop area, and I wasn't listed in the race results. Two tunnels (which were supposed to be lit) weren't and made for difficult footing. Very stingy with post-race food, etc. Absolutely no support on the trail. Water stations were mostly unmanned, with frozen water and Gatorade. In short, a complete disaster. Very nice & scenic trail, but I'd never run it again.

This is a fantastic TRAIL marathon! Beautiful course, perfect weather, very organized, great aid stations and cool medals. Eat at the Black Bear Diner in Susanville after the race!

This was my 20th marathon and I set a P.R. I live and train in Reno so the elevation didn't bother me and I think this is a fast course. The organization was good including the buses, water stops and finish line. I enjoy the smaller marathons without the crowds so this was perfect. If you like scenic runs I recommend this marathon. I plan to run it next year as well.

True trail marathons tend to be hilly and rugged with little chance for a good time. The Bizz Johnson is a pleasant exception.
The race is run on a converted railroad bed which provided good footing throughout. The course profile shows a steady downhill grade with only one significant climb. The scenery was beautiful, especially with the fall colors beginning to change. We ran across a number of wooden bridges and through two short tunnels.
The race is point to point so we had very comfortable busses to the start line. (This year an early start was offered. My wife ran with the early start and the busses and logistics worked exactly the same as for the rest of us.) The finish was in a great location called Hobo Camp which was about a mile from the start location. Shuttle busses were regularly available to get us back to the start although it would have been walkable.
Temperatures were in the thirties when we started (9:00 a.m.) and rose to the low sixties by noon so conditions were ideal. Aid stations were at every even mile with water, gatorade, cookies, chips, oranges at every one. Sometimes there was only one or two volunteers but there were always full tables of drinks and food.
Keep in mind that this is still a trail marathon. There are some rocks, some grass, some soft spots, etc. It is far smoother than most trails that I have run on. Also, it never felt like I was running significantly downhill but rather like a flat course almost all the way.
The race starts and ends in Susanville and has a limit on the number of runners. Both of these factors make early planning necessary. Susanville has a number of hotels/motels but they fill up fast. Check the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce if you can't find rooms. We registered for the race and got hotel rooms in May for the October race.