👀 Eyes of Trail World on RenoTahoe

May 29th Newsletter: Big month of trail running in RenoTahoe and throwback to a Strava ad filmed in Reno in 2013.

Author

Ryan Evans
May 29, 2025

Welcome to this week’s ActiveRenoTahoe newsletter. Good luck to all those participating in the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey. It’s going to be a warm one this year! ☀️ 

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This week's newsletter:

👀 Eyes of the Trail Running World on RenoTahoe

In June, the focus of the trail and ultra running communities will be on RenoTahoe. There are a number of significant events in the month culminating with the Western States 100, arguably the most prominent ultra race in the world. The sport of ultra and trail running is booming and the upcoming events in RenoTahoe are a big part of the growth of the sport.

In the past, ultra running was a relatively obscure subculture of the running community. Thanks in part to social media and an increase in large running brands investing in the sport, ultra running has seen significant growth. In 2005, there were approximately 400 ultra races in the country; in 2025, it’s estimated there will be 2,500+ ultra running events in the USA.

Here’s a breakdown of the busy month of ultra and trail running events in RenoTahoe:

The month kicks off with the Silver State 50/50 in Reno. The event offers a 50-miler, 50K and half marathon. The 40th annual Silver State is one of the longest running ultras in the country.

John Trent, race director and ultra running legend, explained to ActiveRenoTahoe why it is such a special event: “Silver State takes a huge amount of pride in offering runners an experience that’s very much in the spirit of ‘old school’ ultra running.”

Registration for all three distances are still open, but you must register by June 4.

The Tahoe 200 is a pioneer event in the 200+ mile race category. A category that is growing rapidly with new races and participation. The first Tahoe 200 took place in 2014 and it sells out every year attracting runners from all over the world. This year’s event will start and finish at Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe. The traditional course is a 200-mile loop around Lake Tahoe, but due to trail construction this year’s race is the “out and back” version.

If you are interested in doing the Tahoe 200 in 2026, the window to register for the lottery is June 14 - 28.

Runners of the Tahoe 200 will be treated to amazing views of Lake Tahoe throughout the course.

One of the most popular trail events in the country, the Broken Arrow Skyrace, sold out in minutes when registration opened last December. The weekend is full of different races including the 46K, 23K, 18K, 11K, Ascent, and Iron Face. All events take place at Palisades Tahoe. Even if you aren’t racing, the atmosphere in the village is worth checking out. Here’s the schedule for the weekend.

The event also draws some of the fastest trail runners in the country. There is a total of $75,000 prize purse across the Ascent, 23K, and 46K.

TrailCon is North America’s premier trail running festival. Situated between the Broken Arrow Skyrace and Western States, TrailCon brings together industry leaders, athletes, and fans in the trail and ultra running community. The two days are full of events, panels, and a vendor village with 60+ brands. The event takes place at Palisades Tahoe.

Be sure to visit the TrailCon website to learn more about this unique event.

The world’s oldest 100-mile trail race starts in Olympic Valley and concludes 100.2 miles later in Auburn, CA. The eyes of the trail world will focused be on Western States due to its competitive field and deep tradition. 369 runners will be toeing the line on June 28 but it is extremely competitive to earn a race bib. There are a few ways participants can gain entry to Western States, but the two most common include:

  1. Participants can win a spot through the lottery by completing a qualifying race. In 2025, nearly 10,000 people applied for 260 lottery spots.

  2. Runners can earn their entry by finishing on the podium at a Golden Ticket event. These races have become extremely competitive over the past few years and earning a Golden Ticket to Western States is quite the accomplishment.

If you are interested in watching the race, we recommend being at the start line, at the Foresthill aid station (mile 62), and/or the finish line at Auburn High School. You can also catch the livestream of the entire race on the Western States website.

The finish line of Western States on the track at Auburn High School.

🎬️ Throwback Thursday: Strava Ad Filmed in RenoTahoe

A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned Unbreakable 2 will be documenting the 2025 Western States 100. JB Benna, the film’s producer, is from Reno. In 2013, he produced an ad for Strava in our area with local athletes. Check out this throwback ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ 

⏱️ Upcoming Races in Reno / Lake Tahoe for May, June, and July

Race season is upon us! Our calendar is jammed packed with great endurance events in our community. Please let us know if we are missing any races.

May Races
June Races
July Races

Are we missing a race? Let us know!

🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️🏃 Weekly Group Runs in Reno / Lake Tahoe

There are a variety of group runs offered each week in RenoTahoe. Here are this week’s group runs. Please be sure to double check each group’s website/social media for locations, time, and/or last minute changes.

Thursday, May 29

Friday, May 30

  • 🌄 Morning trail run at different locations with the Trail Creatures - No run this week due to RTO

Saturday, May 31

Sunday, June 1

Monday, June 2

  • ❌ 

Tuesday, June 3

Wednesday, June 4

Are we missing a group run? Let us know!

Until next time, stay active RenoTahoe!