Being that this was my first ultra event, I have no other ultras to compare it to, but, without a doubt the Lake Tahoe Triple was three days I will never forget. You cannot truly experience all the wonders, beauty, weather conditions, excitement, and athlete bonding by running just the regular marathon. The joy is in the journey. The experience was totally rewarding and worth every step of the 78.6 miles in 3 days. I'm really glad that I chose this event for my first ultra. Les and Angel, my hat is off to you both for a well run and organized week. Thanks to all involved. It was, without a doubt, the best running experience of my life.

OH MY GOD! I've done 136 marathons and none can begin to compare to the breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe, and the snow-covered mountains. Snow and ice on the bike path made the first 5 miles downright dangerous (would have been better to move the race to the road and lose the certified course) and a wrong turn on the poorly marked bike path just past mile 25 cost me about 2 minutes, but the scenery was worth it. Don't come here looking for a fast time or a lot of spectators, but for sheer beauty, it's #1!

The run was great and challenging, and we had perfect weather. It was a tough run at 15 and 19, as advertised. My only comment is that at mile 20, all Saturday events join in. You've got marathoners, 1/2 marathoners, 10K runners, 10K walkers, and 20K walkers all sharing the same course. For me, it was very tough to keep a rhythm going to the end. Also, having the last 3+ miles on a narrow bike path and darting around all these folks and avoiding oncoming bike traffic was not fun. I would probably do the Friday marathon event instead.

I ran (walked a little) the 20-mile run/walk, which was in its first year. They added this distance for those who wanted to use it as a training run for another marathon, or power walkers, or for the ones I met who had done both the full and half marathons and found the 20 to be a happy medium.

The course itself was beautiful. I was constantly in awe of my surroundings. Running along the shoulder of a mostly closed highway was fine, but when the buses came by to drop off/pick up runners, it got a little hairy. Because the 20-mile was non-competitive and I was using it as a serious training run, I was far ahead of the pack. Once I found myself confused as to which way to turn on the trail. There was plenty of room for runners, walkers, and everyone in between - overcrowding and weaving in and out of the walkers was NOT a problem.

The aid stations were fantastic- when I was feeling tired and worn out, the people working the water/food had more than enough enthusiasm to get me going again!!!

The altitude is tough on the flatlanders (like me), but it's very doable. I wouldn't use this course to set any PRs - this is definitely too scenic a course to worry about your time.

I will definitely be back next year for this one!

A laidback marathon with great organization. The course is beautiful but if you're a flat-lander like me, you better get there several days in advance to adjust to the O2 levels. As the other folks have commented, run this one for fun and don't expect a PR. The massage folks were great!

The water stops are so great! You take such good care of us runners. It is the best and my toughest marathon. I run this one for fun - not time.

This is my 15th marathon, including Chicago, Boston, Marine corps, Twin City, Austin, etc.. You really enjoy this one, very escenic, you don't feel any pressure, very dificult tought. If you make it to the 20 mile, all down hill and fun...The one thing I'd like to change is the finish line..I'll separate marathoners, from 1/2s, walkers and 10k's in different lines.

What a fabulous way to involve your whole family. We had a total of 9 runners in our family particapating in the 10k run, half marathon and the kids fun run. Some are running for a competitive time and some are just out to have fun. Our youngest member was Maxwell,age 3, who had a blast in the 3 year old race. The oldest runner Alfred Johnston, age 67, ran the 10K run and placed 3rd in his age group. Way to go Fred!
This is our family's 4th year to participate and we're already looking forward to our 5th year.
Thank you for making this a yearly special family event!

Sincerely, Mike and Rebekka

Very tough, no air! The incline at 15 and 19.... You've got to be kidding me; a human can run these? The scenic views and the organization were almost perfect. The spectator bus for my wife was great. Also, don't miss the pasta dinner cruise. From a guy from northern Michigan with 9 marathons under his belt: Don't miss this one. My average time is 4:30. I did this in 5:28. This is the first marathon over 5 hours for me. Any other flat-landers out there, be prepared.

Thanks to Les and his crew for coordinating a first-rate marathon. Thanks to volunteer Gary for being so friendly and helpful. He was there loading buses very early in the morning and then attended the awards ceremony in the evening. Special thanks to Michele, a first-time marathoner, for her enthusiasm, which pumped me up to run a much better time than I thought I could. And thanks to all the cheering volunteers for making the 2005 LTM a memorable event for me.