Lake Tahoe Marathon
Lake Tahoe Marathon race day weather
Cool morning, warmer finish ahead
Runners will face a cool start at 40°F, warming to 56°F by the finish. With light winds from the SW at 6 mph and 44% humidity, conditions will be manageable. However, the headwinds from mile 4 to mile 12 may challenge pacing, suggesting a conservative approach in those sections. Hydration will be key as temperatures rise, especially in the last miles with beneficial tailwinds.
The finish is 14 miles from the start, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 40° and finish around 11:55 AM in 56°.
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Lake Tahoe Marathon route and elevation
The Lake Tahoe Marathon course has about 1,569 ft (478 m) of climbing and 1,570 ft (479 m) of descent, and finishes near the elevation it starts. It is hillier than 93% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 9, with 366 ft (112 m) of climbing and a 6.9% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 4.2 to 6.3: climbs about 205 ft (62 m).
- Miles 7.8 to 9.6: climbs about 580 ft (176 m).
- Miles 11.7 to 12.5: climbs about 260 ft (79 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:34 here (4 minutes slower).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 4:05 here (5 minutes slower).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:36 here (6 minutes slower).
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 | 83 ft | 33 ft | 8:14 | 9:24 | 10:35 |
| 2 | 33 ft | 9 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 3 | 64 ft | 74 ft | 7:47 | 8:54 | 10:01 |
| 4 | 46 ft | 103 ft | 7:37 | 8:42 | 9:47 |
| 5 | 91 ft | 26 ft | 8:21 | 9:33 | 10:45 |
| 6 | 89 ft | 7 ft | 8:31 | 9:44 | 10:56 |
| 7 | 56 ft | 120 ft | 7:35 | 8:40 | 9:46 |
| 8 | 31 ft | 70 ft | 7:40 | 8:46 | 9:52 |
| 9 | 366 ft | 1 ft | 11:13 | 12:48 | 14:24 |
| 10 | 183 ft | 63 ft | 8:50 | 10:06 | 11:22 |
| 11 | 96 ft | 96 ft | 7:49 | 8:57 | 10:04 |
| 12 | 71 ft | 208 ft | 7:22 | 8:24 | 9:27 |
| 13 | 190 ft | 55 ft | 8:59 | 10:16 | 11:33 |
| 14 | 0 ft | 330 ft | 6:58 | 7:58 | 8:58 |
| 15 | 26 ft | 86 ft | 7:36 | 8:42 | 9:46 |
| 16 | 20 ft | 131 ft | 7:26 | 8:30 | 9:34 |
| 17 | 44 ft | 39 ft | 7:52 | 8:59 | 10:07 |
| 18 | 10 ft | 38 ft | 7:43 | 8:49 | 9:55 |
| 19 | 35 ft | 23 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 20 | 6 ft | 27 ft | 7:45 | 8:51 | 9:57 |
| 21 | 15 ft | 6 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:09 |
| 22 | 31 ft | 20 ft | 7:55 | 9:02 | 10:11 |
| 23 | 27 ft | 27 ft | 7:49 | 8:57 | 10:03 |
| 24 | 14 ft | 14 ft | 7:49 | 8:56 | 10:04 |
| 25 | 17 ft | 35 ft | 7:46 | 8:52 | 9:58 |
| 26 | 37 ft | 36 ft | 7:50 | 8:57 | 10:04 |
| Last 0.2 | 1 ft | 6 ft | 1:43 | 1:58 | 2:13 |
Explore the Lake Tahoe Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Lake Tahoe Marathon
The Lake Tahoe Marathon runs the west shore of Lake Tahoe from Highway 89 at Meadow Road, south of Homewood, to Lakeside Beach in South Lake Tahoe. The course passes through Tahoma, climbs the "Hill from Hell" (520 feet over 1.9 miles beginning near mile 8), gains another 200 feet near mile 12 en route to Inspiration Point above Emerald Bay, then runs mostly downhill to the finish. It is the Sunday race of a three-day Lake Tahoe Marathon weekend that also includes the Lakeside and Cal-Neva marathons, three half marathons, a 10K, and two 5Ks. The modern race, organized by Les Wright as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reached its 31st annual edition in 2026.
