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Apr 28, 2024

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.7

Organization 4.1

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 103 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

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R. B. from Sacramento, CA (12/6/2011) "Loved it!! Will make it a yearly race!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran the Bizz October 2011 and it was absolutely amazing. The race organization was top notch, the trail was beautiful, the downhill was noticeable and so much fun. While Susanville isn't quaint or sophisticated, it is a great base for the marathon weekend: the people are nice, the hotel was cheap and comfortable, and everything was easy to get to. Running through the tunnels was almost a mystical experience: the quiet, the laterns along the course, and my beating heart and labored breathing. I didn't feel the altitude, but felt like my feet barely touched the ground during the long, gradual descent. All in all, it was a blast. It is two months later and I still smile when I think about it. We are definitely coming back in 2012, but I have to let my husband run the marathon this time, while I do the express 1/2 on Saturday. (P.S., this website deducted stars for lack of spectators, but it really is a 5-star race and the few spectators there are were enthusiastic!)
Michael McCullough from Klamath Falls, Oregon (10/13/2011) "A Well Run Scenic Trail Marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is my fifth year doing this race. What I like most is the fact that it is not pavement. I train almost exclusively on trails including a local rail trail that is very similar to this course. The other thing I love is the scenery along the way. The new race director does a fine job and everything has gone smoothly. I do hear a lot of the other runners complaining about the altitude - is it truly a factor or just an excuse du jour? I live and train at this altitude so I can't feel it - but the first six miles or so of the race are above 5000' so if you live in a coastal area you might notice it. More importantly, though, is the fact that this area is extremely DRY so sweat will evaporate quickly. The hazard of that is not realizing how much water you are losing via sweating and not drinking enough. Although the race generally starts in the cold the last six miles are often quite warm and you don't want be dehydrated at that point. As usual I took photos before, during, and after the race which are in flickr and are also linked from the Bizz Johnson website.
D. H. from San Francisco, CA (10/12/2010) "Nicely done race." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Coastal Trail Runners does a nice job organizing this race. The logistics were easy and the aid stations well stocked with friendly volunteers. It's a small event and I loved having the course all to myself at times. It was nice to run on the trail and my body was much less stiff the following day than usual. The elevation was a challenge and it felt up hill all the way despite what the course elevation shows. While some of the other posts complained about the train whistle medal, I liked having something different given how different this marathon was from others I've run. The one thing I would change would be to start the race at least one hour earlier. The current 9 a.m. start leads to a rushed hotel check out and a late arrival home Sunday night (as Susanville is a long drive from most places) - not to mention the fact that you have to run in the midday sun. Course: 4 stars. Beautiful, but it's not fast as advertised. Organization: 5 stars. Well done, but can you please put all of the details in the pre-race e-mail in case we cannot access your website while traveling. Spectators: 4 stars. The few who were there were very enthusiastic but I liked the peacefulness of the wilderness.
S. Z. from Albuquerque, NM (10/11/2010) "Beautiful trail but not a fast course" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 My husband and I chose this race because we want to run Boston in 2011 and I needed a qualifying race that took place prior to Boston opening for registration. Since we live and train at 5,000', we figured this marathon would be a good one for us to try. Another plus was that it was on trails, which we love. I would have to agree with the comments that other reviewers have noted. This course is definitely run like a trail run so there aren't aid stations but every 2 miles and there are not port-a-potties along the way. However, the scenery was very pretty (but I'm usually not paying attention when I'm running). Here is a quick run-down on the good and bad of this race. Pros: Pretty views, well-marked course - every mile was marked and easy to see - nice marathon shirt, lot of food choices at every aid station, and it was fun running through old train tunnels Cons: The trail was similar to running on gravel so your feet got sore after awhile, elevation - the first 14 miles are above 5,200' before dropping to 4,200' by the end - the aid stations are 2 miles apart and with the temps climbing into the 70s, I didn't have enough water (I would recommend bringing a water bottle to run with), there was no electrolyte drink at a number of aid stations, and we got an unimpressive medal. I think if you come into the race with the right expectations you won't be disappointed. But if you've run a number of marathons and are expecting a "fast" course, you won't find it here. As a side note, both my husband and I did qualify for Boston but our times were approximately 10 - 20 minutes off of our PR times.
Drue Mathies from Nevada City, CA (10/10/2010) "Except for bonking at mile 20, I was pleased!" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 We attended the pasta feed at a local casino, which was actually delicious. A fascinating history of the trail was presented at the end of the meal. The weather was ideal. I did P.R., and improved on my Boston qualifying time. But not by as much as I thought I would. I struggled between mile 19 and 20. And walked a bit, after that. Altitude? Maybe. Running the trail is far superior to running on asphalt, folks. The scenery is gorgeous. Everyone is very friendly. Yes, it is not easy to get there, but it is worth the inconvenience. The Super 8 is dog-friendly, and adjusted their checkout to 2:00, allowing us time to shower after the race. I will run this course again.
S. M. from Redwood City, CA (3/10/2010) "My first trail marathon" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I definitely agree with the other reviewers who noted that this is not a "fast" course, nor does it feel like a "downhill" marathon. Also, the altitude had a serious effect on me, as I live at or near sea level year round. For those runners like me who have only done road races, this race is definitely a "trail marathon." That includes all of the good things that come with trail races, including the fact that the other racers are friendly, the fans are made up mostly of the families of the racers, and the aid stations have lovely offerings such as oranges, bananas, and pretzels. However, there are also drawbacks with it being a trail race, including: there aren't very many aid stations, the aid stations were spaced rather far apart, there is no chip timing, there are no port-a-potties (just bushes), and the finish area and supplies left a lot to be desired (i.e., no Diet Cokes and very little food was left by the time I finished). My time wasn't that much slower than some of my recent marathons - my finish time at Bizz was 4:30 and my recent marathons were 4:15. A plus was that I didn't feel hurt after the marathon, like I do after road races - probably because the race is entirely run on dirt trails (some of which are powdery). I definitely felt the impact of the altitude, though, and the impact of the steady 6-mile climb at the start (well, one mile out and back, then the start of the steady 6-mile climb). Also, the next 4 miles thereafter were slightly up and down, so you don't really get to start going noticeably "downhill" until after mile 11. The last 15 miles, although downhill, were not very steep, and much of it felt flat as a result. Finally, it was not the easiest marathon to get to. Driving from the Peninsula in the SF Bay Area, it took us 5-6 hours to drive there, with little to no traffic. It is a good 70 miles outside of Reno, and that took us close to 2 hours to drive. We also did not book a hotel until shortly before the race, so we were stuck staying 30 minutes outside of Susanville. So if you're thinking of doing this race, you should book your room at the Best Western way ahead of time. It books up fast. All in all, I would not say that the race lived up to my expectations. The schwag was terrible - with not very nice shirts, and the worst medal I've ever seen. Adding in the very long drive made this marathon a one-time event for me and for my husband.
Jude Thomas from Fairlawn, Ohio USA (1/26/2010) "Good balance of benefits/burdens of small event." (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 A fellow runner asked me to post my recap of the 2009 event, so here are my two cents. This is essentially the shared perspective of four of us who ran the Bizz Johnson Marathon for the first time. Perspective: This was my eighth marathon. My past marathons have included: Pittsburgh (twice), Erie, New York City, Adirondack, Big Sur, Akron, and Bizz. Best time: 3:25; worst: 4:15-ish. These days I do most if not all of my training on trails, so it was a logical step to finally run my first actual trail marathon. Location and size: The Bizz is a small marathon set in remote Susanville, CA, not far from Nevada. The nearest major airport is Reno, which is about a 90-minute drive. About 350 runners typically run this race, in addition to half-marathoners who run separately, keeping the number of runners on the marathon course very small. Scenery: The country around Susanville is unquestionably beautiful: Tall conifers, rugged high desert terrain, and miles of surrounding hills and mountains. It's gorgeous. If you want to run a destination marathon, this is a good one. We spent the day after the race mountain biking and kayaking in and around Tahoe. It was well worth the trip. That said, as marathons go - and I find it hard to believe that I am saying this - the Bizz is actually a little monotonous. Since it has little perceptible elevation change and essentially no turns of any kind after the first mile or so, you experience the exact same view for the better part of 25 miles: a rail-to-trail stretching out in a straight line in front of you as far as you can see, with trees on either side and a strip of sky down the middle overhead. Beautiful, but unchanging. It's an odd perspective if you are accustomed to marathons with changing scenery. There are a few short foot bridges, but otherwise the view never varies much. Support: Minimal. This is more of a "rugged" marathon than I am used to. Not because the trail is challenging (it isn't), not because the air is thinner (I didn't even notice this, despite reports that altitude is a problem for some runners), and not because it is in a remote location that requires more travel than some marathons for many people; rather, just because the trail itself is remote and the food stops come only every two miles. I'm positive that a mass of regular trail runners will criticize me for saying this, but I'm used to having access to water and/or food about every mile when I run marathons, and so I found it tough to stretch that out to every other mile. For me, that meant actually stopping at the aid stations and gobbling down food and drink, rather than running through them, and that cost us some time. I was running as support for a friend, so I wasn't trying to run a personal best, but I still found that I suffered more for not having the regular access to food and water that I am used to. I carried my usual belt with a couple sleeves of Clif Bloks, but I would have benefited by carrying more food and my own water, something I have done in training, but never in an actual race. There is little crowd support on the course, but you expect that in a small, remote marathon like this. It was actually sort of refreshing. Organization: Despite some reports that the race director is unpleasant, he seemed like a pretty nice guy. Packet pick-up, transport to the starting line, and finish line amenities were simple, but adequate and smoothly conducted. No complaints here. Placement of the aid stations AT the mile markers was probably an awkward choice by the race organizers. During the initial miles, at least, when we were still trying to run through the aid stations to keep our pace, it was really a pain to try to register the mile split on our watches while simultaneously grabbing a cup of water and/or food. If the organizers would move the aid stations about 100 meters farther before the mile markers, it would be much easier. Weather: Very cold at the starting line and warm at the finish. Prepare for a day of changing temperatures, especially if you take over four hours to finish. Bags are provided at the start to drop off your pre-race clothes, which I was pretty reluctant to shed. Once you get moving, however, it's fine. I ran in shorts and a tech T-shirt. My usual marathon gear is shorts and a tank top, so it was not much different. Avoid getting your clothing wet (from beverages) in the first miles, though. Brrr. Peri-race amenities: hotels in the area are limited. Book early. We stayed at the Best Western and it was fine. Simple but clean. They apparently offered a couple of empty rooms post-race to serve as men's and women's showers for those who had already checked out, but we didn't use them because one member of our group had booked his room for an extra night. There is an Italian restaurant in the area called Rose's, which was actually really good. We got there early the evening before the race - right when they opened - and ate on the little patio. It filled up quickly after that, as it is small. There are at most only a couple of other places to eat in the area, so plan ahead. There was no pre-race pasta dinner, although that might be changing for 2010. Swag: pretty minimal. A simple race pack, a tech T, and a medal. Nothing special. I can't really comment on how fast or slow the course was, since I was running in a support capacity for a friend. My companion failed to break his goal time, but mostly because he did not eat enough on the course and he bonked hard, which is easy to do. I think a decent time could potentially be run here if you carry enough food and drink of your own and use a system to quickly replenish fluids as needed. One perk was that I ran the last three miles beside Alanis Morissette. I had no idea it was her until after we crossed the finish line and fans started snapping photos. I did mention to my friend around mile 23 that I thought the woman running next to us could "almost be Alanis Morissette's sister," and apparently I was the only person there who did not realize that she was actually running the race. Right before the finish, I drifted back to finish beside my running partner and we ended up right behind her in all of the finish line photos. We look like bodyguards, which is kind of funny. Alanis, by the way, was very gracious and happy to chat with us and others after the race. All in all, a good race, which does a pretty good job of straddling the benefits and burdens of a race of this size.
C. W. from Washington State (11/3/2009) "A gorgeous, fast run" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 We've all heard that "it's all downhill from here"; at Bizz, except for two hills that are actually fun after all the downhill, it's actually true, from the start. I loved the fall colors and the trail away from traffic; the other runners were friendly, and the aid stations were consistently two miles apart. Fine staging, and transport. Consider, please, an early start, as in the past: it's HOT by midday. More buses at the finish would help. I'll do this one over and over again. Thanks.
E. W. from Placerville, Ca (10/23/2009) "Better in past years!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I ran Bizz in the last two years. Last year the aid stations were better. The food at end of race this year was POOR. The quality of shirt was poor this year compared to last year too. The train medal were so-so. I love the course, but new organization cut a lot of corners to save money, I guess. This was one of my favorite marathons but not anymore.
GIna Harris from Salem, Oregon (10/14/2009) "Beautiful and fun course to run!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is a great course to run; the only downside is that it is at a very high altitude. It starts at 5300', goes up to 5600' and then ends at 4200'. If you are going to run this marathon, make sure you train at as close to that altitude as possible. I did not do that and that was a big mistake on my part. I would definitely recommend this marathon for anyone who is looking for something different. It is advertised as a downhill marathon, and it is MOSTLY downhill, but the first seven miles are at a gradual uphill, which can be a killer if you are not prepared for the altitude. I ended up having to speed-walk most of the marathon because I was not prepared. You've got to have oxygen to run. :) I was still able to finish the race, but it took me 6:45 - a very long time to be out speed-walking. I'm not sure if I will run this race again, not only because of the altitude, but because it is a seven-and-a-half-hour drive from my home. I DID enjoy it a lot, but it was a difficult trip home for me. The marathon is VERY small - only 360 finished - so it's perfect for a first-time marathoner. The course is certified as a Boston qualifier, and quite a few have qualified running it. The race this year was sponsored by a different organization from in the past, Pacific Coast Trail Runs, and I was very pleased with their work. They were very friendly and helpful, as well as organized. This marathon is run on an old railroad bed that has had the rails removed and the area graded. It is a beautiful area to run in - the Lassen National Forest. It starts in Westwood and ends in Susanville, California. The race is easy on the body since it is run on trails and not pavement. Since it is a trail run, you do not have spectators on the course except for the volunteers at the aid stations, and at the finish line.

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