5th annual Rock Tahoe Half Marathon this weekend; Lane closure announced – South Tahoe Now

Over 1,800 runners will be participating in this weekend’s 5th annual Rock Tahoe Half Marathon. The race, presented by Epic Tahoe Adventures (ETA), sends the runners past the spectacular scenery of many of Tahoe’s east and south shore treasures including Glenbrook, Logan Shoals, Cave Rock, Round Hill Pines, Nevada Beach, and Rabe Meadow. They wind down over 1,000 feet from Spooner Summit to the finish line at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe.

In order to keep the runners safe, the lakeside lane of westbound Highway 50 will be closed from the top of Spooner Summit to the bike trail at Round Hill Pines from 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Kingsbury Grade is recommended as the preferred route for traffic between Carson City and South Lake Tahoe during these hours. Additionally, access into or out of the peripheral streets and driveways may be prolonged at times. We ask that residents and visitors be cautious and vigilant when crossing
the closed lane to enter or exit the highway.

“We are truly humbled at the number of runners who return to Rock Tahoe year after year,” says Jessica Schnoll, Queen of Everything Epic. “This year alone, 40% of the total registered participants have completed Rock Tahoe before and are returning for a second, third, fourth, or even fifth time!” 100 of those runners have run in each of the previous four Rock Tahoe Half Marathons.

Katie Joll, South Lake Tahoe local and 5-year legacy runner says, “Rock Tahoe introduced me to half marathons five years ago and I’ve come back every year. The serenity of an early morning run by the lake can’t be beat and there’s an amazing vibe to this whole event. I’m looking forward to crossing the finish again to celebrate Rock Tahoe number five this year!”

Race weekend kicks off with a “Rock the Plaza” Packet Pick-up and Pre-Race Expo on Friday, June 14 from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Guitar Plaza in front of Alpine Union at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe. The event is open to the public and will feature booths from both local and national sponsors including samples from Lake Tahoe AleWorX, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Nuun, Honey Stinger, plus many more vendors and music from the RunMC! Racers will be able to pick up their race packets, snap photos in the digital photo booth, and shop all of the official Rock Tahoe Half Marathon merchandise.

Race day begins bright and early at Spooner Summit on Saturday, June 15 with the high-energy Run MC and Kaia Fit getting runners warmed up and pumped up at the start line. The race features two start times – 7:00 a.m. for walkers/joggers and 8:00 a.m. for runners. With seven aid stations on course, the event is fully prepared to meet racers’ hydration and nutritional needs. The aid stations are all hosted by local organizations and also serve as rally points along the 13.1-mile course. “The volunteers at the aid stations are a huge part of Rock Tahoe – they
create the vibe and keep the energy high out on the course,” says Jason Collin, ETA’s Chief Officer of Awesomeness. “We couldn’t put on a race like this without the amazing support of our volunteers.”

While runners finish their 13.1-mile adventure at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe, the fun is actually just getting started with the Finish Line Festival & Post-Race Pool Party. Runners receive a free can of Cali Common from Lake Tahoe AleWorX, vanilla dairy-free milk from Ripple, a complimentary massage from Bodhi Tree Massage School and guided stretching from Lake Tahoe Yoga to work out those muscles! The finish line festival features several other vendors plus the return of food trucks including local favorites!

The high energy continues at the Rock Tahoe Post-Race Pool Party with a live performance from the band, Daze on the Green! This Bay area cover band will keep the party rocking all afternoon with all the greatest party dance hits! The Rock Tahoe Finish Line Festival is open to the public as well as participants and is a great place to celebrate with runners at the finish line.

The festivities kick off at 8:00 a.m. and the first race finisher is expected around 9:15 a.m. Winning times for 2018 were 1:20:42 by Melvin Nyairo and 1:36:37 by Stephanie Carlsake. Both will be returning this year to defend their titles. Awards are given to the top three men and women, along with the 1st-3rd spots in each age/gender group.

This year’s field features runners from 34 states and six countries with 84% of the participants traveling more than 30 miles to participate, with an average distance of over 270 miles! 60% of participants are between the ages of 30-49 years old and 70% are women. Currently, the youngest competitor is an 11-year-old from Elk Grove, CA and the youngest at heart will be 83-year-old Jim Whalen from Ventura, CA!

There are still some slots open but they normally sell out. Visit epictahoe.com for more details.