Cal-Neva Marathon
Cal-Neva Marathon race day weather
Cool morning, warming finish
Runners will face a cool start at 34°F, warming to 57°F by the finish. With a light SSW wind peaking at 6 mph, conditions will be generally favorable. The course features significant descents early, providing a boost, but runners should be prepared for headwinds from mile 15 onward. Hydration should be prioritized as temperatures rise, and a light throwaway layer is advisable for the pre-race period.
This course drops 827 ft from start to finish, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 34° and finish around 10:55 AM in 57°; typical start-line conditions say 53° then.
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Cal-Neva Marathon route and elevation
The Cal-Neva Marathon course has about 2,061 ft (628 m) of climbing and 2,881 ft (878 m) of descent, a net drop of about 820 ft (250 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 92% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 15, with 206 ft (63 m) of climbing and a 3% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 2.2 to 2.5: climbs about 150 ft (45 m).
- Miles 14 to 14.6: climbs about 200 ft (61 m).
- Miles 22.5 to 23.4: climbs about 290 ft (89 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:29:10 here (50 seconds faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:59 here (1 minute faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:29 here (1 minute faster).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77 ft | 177 ft | 7:40 | 8:45 | 9:51 |
| 2 | 90 ft | 161 ft | 7:46 | 8:53 | 10:00 |
| 3 | 180 ft | 139 ft | 8:22 | 9:35 | 10:46 |
| 4 | 47 ft | 281 ft | 7:20 | 8:21 | 9:24 |
| 5 | 52 ft | 185 ft | 7:34 | 8:40 | 9:44 |
| 6 | 91 ft | 175 ft | 7:43 | 8:49 | 9:56 |
| 7 | 71 ft | 203 ft | 7:34 | 8:39 | 9:44 |
| 8 | 96 ft | 90 ft | 8:05 | 9:14 | 10:23 |
| 9 | 140 ft | 166 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 10 | 122 ft | 105 ft | 8:11 | 9:22 | 10:32 |
| 11 | 28 ft | 106 ft | 7:45 | 8:51 | 9:57 |
| 12 | 38 ft | 5 ft | 8:19 | 9:30 | 10:42 |
| 13 | 72 ft | 56 ft | 8:10 | 9:20 | 10:30 |
| 14 | 49 ft | 75 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 15 | 206 ft | 47 ft | 9:27 | 10:47 | 12:08 |
| 16 | 43 ft | 110 ft | 7:46 | 8:54 | 10:01 |
| 17 | 21 ft | 142 ft | 7:37 | 8:41 | 9:46 |
| 18 | 47 ft | 39 ft | 8:06 | 9:16 | 10:25 |
| 19 | 52 ft | 77 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:13 |
| 20 | 100 ft | 89 ft | 8:08 | 9:18 | 10:27 |
| 21 | 76 ft | 39 ft | 8:21 | 9:32 | 10:44 |
| 22 | 75 ft | 87 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 23 | 152 ft | 72 ft | 8:43 | 9:58 | 11:13 |
| 24 | 174 ft | 145 ft | 8:17 | 9:28 | 10:38 |
| 25 | 50 ft | 129 ft | 7:44 | 8:50 | 9:57 |
| 26 | 41 ft | 87 ft | 7:52 | 9:00 | 10:07 |
| Last 0.2 | 5 ft | 26 ft | 1:43 | 1:57 | 2:12 |
Explore the Cal-Neva Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Cal-Neva Marathon
The Cal-Neva Marathon is a point-to-point race held each October as part of the Lake Tahoe Marathon weekend, crossing the state line so the same 26.2 miles can be counted for either Nevada or California toward a 50-states goal. It starts at the Spooner Summit Snow Play Area near 7,000 feet on the Nevada shore, runs counterclockwise past Incline Village's Billionaire Row, and finishes about 800 feet lower at Commons Beach in Tahoe City, California. The Incline Half Marathon joins the course for its second half and shares the same finish line. The 2024 edition was canceled after Caltrans closed the route, and the race returned in 2025 with an expanded field.
