The scenery was FANTASTIC! Definitely the most beautiful course I've done. I am a 6+-hour marathoner, I was disappointed that the course was opened to traffic about 6 hours in. This despite the advertisement that the course was open for 7 hours. The last 1 - 2 miles was a descent on a narrow road with little to no shoulder. Dangerous! Especially with oncoming traffic.

My wife and I traveled from Australia and ran the half-marathon. We had a great time, even though I was glad to see the finish when it finally came. It was a challenging and memorable course, with a friendly atmosphere. We camped at Camp Richardson, which was perfect. Thanks for some great memories.

Very tough course. Beautiful scenery.
Nice people at the water stations.

This was the most beautiful run. I was nervous because it was my first marathon, and when I told people about it, I was told this will be a tough one. But the beauty of the mountains and the view of lake Tahoe seem to help me forget the big hills. Thank you, Chelsea and Hailey, for running my first marathon with me. I love you girls, and congratulations in getting first place in your divisions. Thanks to Les for telling me eight months ago on the phone that I could run this marathon even if it was my first - you really inspired me. We will be back next year. Congrats to the three-day marathon runners!!!

I try to not miss this because it really is a beautiful and rejuvenating walk/run. It is also well organized and pleasant. If you have to choose just one, make this that one.

I've run many marathons and this is by far the most beautiful I have ever run. The course is challenging, but well worth the effort. As I ran around Emerald Bay, "Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin just happened to come on my iPod. The scenery, the music, the exhilaration of running - it was one of the most moving experiences I've ever felt. If I had to pick my all-time favorite marathon, this would be it.

The commentary here is as it relates to the triple marathon.

Day 1: Traffic on the west (Nevada) side of the lake was so heavy that there were scarcely 6 inches between me, semi-trucks and the guard rail. If I had leaped over the guardrail, in most cases, it would have been off a sheer face, akin to a cliff, bisecting the lake shore at the bottom.

About three of the last four miles takes place up a very steep incline.

Day 2: Less heavy traffic and a little more shoulder room, with a few bike paths. The north shore is home to a plethora of multi-million-dollar mansions, and the vista of the lake to the south is awe-inspiring on a clear day.

Day 3: Bottleneck start due to park renovations. Snow and black ice on course - the first time in the race's seven years. The most scenic day of the triple - "Emerald Bay" owns up to its name. The tall evergreen trees contrast well with the lake's deep blue waters.

The first-class, pre-race buffet was at the Nevada Horizon Casino and ranks as one of the best pre-race meals I have had among my 93 marathons.

Marathon amenities included a beautiful blue embroidered wind shirt. Triple runners also received a gray, silkscreen logo-ed sweater.

The marathon medal has a logo of the lake, and finishers of the triple also received a stand-up plaque.

For sheer eye-popping scenery, this race has few peers. I tried my 1st multi-day race in the Triple Marathon, which circles the 72-mile Lake Tahoe in 3 segments. The first 2 days are low-key, with just the fellow Triple runners. These 2 segments are run on the road shoulder against active traffic (except when there is a path/sidewalk), and there are just a handful of aid stations with fluids and limited snacks. But, the various runner crews frequently offered a bottle of water or candy, so aid was never far away. The last day is run with the signature marathon, so there is constant running company, closed roads, standard aid stations, pockets of spectator support, and post-race pageantry. Consider paying the upgrade fee for the post-race buffet. The chile-verde over rice was incredible.

If you are running just the main marathon, be prepared for a great run with great support in jaw-dropping scenic hills (no PRs here). If doing the triple, you will need to be more self sufficient (pack your calories!) and be willing to deal with road traffic. But that being said, the organization is great, and Les, Angel, and the gang have been doing it for years, so there are no surprises.

In addition to the race, there are other activities offered (1/2M, 10K, kayak, swim, tri), as well as casinos, lake/boating, etc., so it is also fun for whomever you might bring.

I took part in the three day event, running a marathon each day around the lake. I will focus on day 3. You can't do much about the weather, but a very icy first 6 or 7 miles for me. First 6 miles is a gentle downhill, followed by rolling hills until 15. At 15 you hit the Hill to Hell, going from 6200 - 6800 feet. Nice downhill from 18-19, and then another climb for about a mile. Once you hit Inspiration Point, it becomes and extremely fast 6 miles to the finish. The course is one of the most beautiful you will ever run. Running around Emerald Bay at mile 18-19 is stunning. The course is hilly. Lots of water stations and support. This is not fast and flat, but is a good destination marathon to travel to. Hard course to PB on. The main marathon on Saturday is the hardest. If you want to run Lake Tahoe, consider the 2nd day of the triple. By far the easiest of the three marathons. The first day had a climb from 22-26 but was not too hard of a course to run. Limited support and no travel from the finish line is provided if you run the day 1 or day 2 marathons.

It was my first 10K race and I can't wait for next year - I'm running the full. Unbelievable views, and the warm-up jackets that they give out are very nice! I finished in just under an hour! It was awesome!