Great Trail Race Testimonials

It was a wonderful day to hold the first annual Great Trail Race. Participants enjoyed the mild temps and sunshine on their quest to conquer the Truckee to Tahoe City race course.  Big Blue Adventure and team did an awesome job laying out two exciting courses for the race. The Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team reported seeing lots of smiles and racers having a blast along the course. The finish line celebration was a blast with the music, vendors, BBQ and ice cold beverages for all.  A special thank you to Sierra Nevada Brewing Company for their generous support of the event and TNSAR. The Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team was fortunate to take part in first annual Great Trail Race and to have partners like Big Blue Adventure, Todd Jackson and Chaco Mohler.  The Great Trail Race will help TNSAR by contributing to our fundraising efforts. TNSAR is excited to be part of this Fall event and we are looking forward to a big winter and the 40th annual Great Ski Race the first Sunday in March 2017

Chris McConnell, President, Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue

Thanks for your kind words. The Great Trail Race was a terrific event! The course was a fun mix of single track and fire road and was very well marked. It’s always exciting to do a point to point run, and I loved that they provided a shuttle to the start. As someone who has participated in The Great Ski Race many times (my first time was 1994), I really enjoyed exploring that terrain in the summer. The after party was festive with plenty of beer flowing, delicious barbecue, and it was great to see some of my mountain biker friends; we’re not usually at the same events! I definitely recommend this race, especially since it benefits Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and has such a warm community feel. A huge thanks to the organizers and volunteers for putting on such a fun day. And for a top notch prize! I was fortunate enough to take home a six pack of beer and a pair Salomon shoes; fantastic!

Audrey Staples

I’ve been in Tahoe for 4 weeks training for the XTERRA World Champs. I have traveled for the past 4 years to various amazing places around the world searching for the ultimate training ground. I think this year I might have found it. The mountain biking in Tahoe is next level. There is an entity of single track that weaves its way through the mountains and I believe I could ride here for years on end and never get bored of the tracks or the incredible landscapes within this region.  The Great trail race was a highlight of my time in Tahoe.  It incorporated some of the best riding within the area and brought together a community of like mind mountain bikers. I only wish it was closer to the start of my time here rather than at the end. I believe this event has all the right components to build into one of the regions favorite events.

Braden Currie

Wanaka, New Zealand

It’s been 20 years since my last my last mountain bike race, but this one has a personal appeal. I raced the classic course in reverse two previous times, once I the mid- eighties on a cyclocross bike and in the mid- nineties on a mountain bike with a 52 tooth chain ring. It was a very fast coarse! Plenty of fast pedaling downhill on the way to Truckee.

I enjoyed this new coarse for a few reasons. It started right on the dirt of the 06 road with straight forward fire road flats and climbing. Then descended fast to the classic single track of the ” NORDIC CENTER”, as old locals call it. Finishing at Tahoe CrossCountry  flips the Great Ski Race post party idea back to the start.  I like the classic coarse just the way it was run. Don’t change it. It’s simple, fast, and fun!

John Goss

The Elite Mountain Bike course utilized some of the best single from start to finish which made for a challenging course and minimized the use of the 06 road. It seemed to be well marked and the aids stations where placed in ideal locations. Also I prefer the finish in TC. All in all a fun event for everyone!

Joe Pace