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Big Blue Adventure
Triathletes running out of Lake Tahoe onto the beach after the swim leg

Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada · Since 2002

Race the lake you have
only seen in photographs

Twenty-two endurance races around Lake Tahoe and Truckee, ringing seventy-two miles of Sierra shoreline. Every distance, every level, since 2002.

  • Racing since 2002
  • 22 races a season
  • 7,500+ athletes a year
  • 6,225 ft above the sea
See the 2026 seasonFlying in? Where to stay and how to get here

Backed by the North Shore

The 2026 season

Every race we run
rings one lake

Twenty-two start lines around seventy-two miles of shoreline. Pick a month or a sport and see where you would be standing.

LAKE TAHOE6,225 FT ASL · 1,645 FT DEEPTRUCKEEDONNER LKOLYMPIC VALLEYTAHOE CITYKINGS BEACHSAND HARBORSPOONEREMERALD BAYSOUTH LAKE TAHOE

30 May · Trail running

Tail Wagger Dog Friendly 5K

Truckee, CA

The friendliest start line of the season. Bring the dog, bring the kids, get the year going.

Distances
5K
High point
5,820 ft
Race details

22 events shown

Why people drive up for these

Cold water.
Warm welcome.

The courses are genuinely hard. Tahoe sits at 6,225 feet and most of ours climb well above it, the water runs in the low sixties all summer, and the Marlette 50K tops out over 8,000 feet with the whole lake underneath you.

And then there is a barbeque, a raffle, and a cold one from Alibi at the finish, and nobody standing there cares what you ran. That combination is the entire point of the company, and it has been since the first Tahoe Big Blue race in 2002.

  • 22races a season
  • 24years running
  • 6sports
  • 5Kto 100 miles
A pack of triathletes in wetsuits and yellow caps wading into Lake Tahoe at the startAn athlete crossing the Big Blue Adventure finish arch with arms up

If you only do one

The ones people come back for

All 22 events →

Drawn by hand since 2003

Every race gets
its own badge

Gil Gaus has drawn one for every event we have ever put on — the heavy keyline, the hard shadow, the joke you only get once you have run the course. Athletes collect them. So do we.

From the finish line

What people say afterwards

  • “To me, Big Blue events represent the very best of multisport in California. The courses are challenging yet stunning, and the field can be competitive but always welcoming of triathletes of all abilities. Always worth the trip up from San Francisco.”
    Nick LolliCommunity Director, Golden Gate Triathlon Club
  • “I have raced all over the country and have never raced such an amazing course as the Lake Tahoe Triathlon. Todd and his staff put on a top notch event. This race should be added to every triathlete’s to-do list.”
    Derek GarciaProfessional triathlete
  • “I had a BLAST in the sprint. It was my first adventure race, and you made it such a positive experience for first-timers. The organisation of the event was superb, and the barbeque at the end was the icing on the cake.”
    Tyson SteevesFirst-time adventure racer
  • “I’m a triathlete by nature, but this was my first race where it was just flat out fun. I had never done an adventure race before and now I’m hooked. I have only been on a mountain bike five times in my life, and now I’m looking into buying one.”
    Keri PitmanParticipant
  • “Perhaps most importantly, the staff was very enthusiastic and helpful. The welcoming party and the festive atmosphere at the finish were really a nice touch. There are lots of interesting people in adventure racing, and getting them together strengthens the community.”
    Dayna DeuterSalt Lake City, UT

Next on the calendar

Coming up in 2026

Before you enter

The things people ask us

Still stuck? Call the office on 530-546-1019 — someone who has marked the course will pick up.

I have never raced before. Is there something here for me?
Yes, and it is most of the calendar. Every event that can have a short distance has one — a 5K, a 500m swim, a sprint tri, a 30K gravel route. The Tail Wagger 5K in May and Run to the Beach on the Fourth of July are the two most people start with. Nobody at a Big Blue finish line cares what time you ran.
How hard is racing at 6,000 feet if I live at sea level?
Lake Tahoe sits at 6,225 feet and most of our courses climb well above it — the Marlette 50K tops out over 8,000. Expect to run roughly 10-15% slower than at home. Arrive a day or two early if you can, drink far more than you think you need, start conservatively, and respect the sun. It is thinner and drier up here than the numbers suggest.
How cold is the water, and do I need a wetsuit?
Lake Tahoe runs low-to-mid 60s Fahrenheit through summer, which is wetsuit-legal for every swim we hold. Donner Lake is smaller and shallower and usually swims several degrees warmer. Every open-water event runs full kayak and personal-watercraft cover with certified divers on the water.
Where should I stay for a race weekend?
Nearly everything is within thirty minutes of Tahoe City or Truckee, and both have everything from campgrounds to hotels. Sugar Pine Point and Donner Memorial State Parks both have campgrounds that book out months ahead for race weekends, so if you want to camp at the start line, book early.
Can I volunteer instead of racing?
Please do. Volunteers run our aid stations, course marshalling, water safety and finish lines, and it is genuinely the best seat on the course. You usually earn credit toward a future entry, plus food and a beer from Alibi Ale Works afterwards. It is also the fastest way to learn how a race works before you enter one.
What happened to XTERRA Lake Tahoe?
It is now the Tahoe Off-Road Triathlon. Same lake, same singletrack, same crew — we produced XTERRA Lake Tahoe for years as part of the XTERRA America Tour, and the race carries on under its own name.

Travelling in

Most of the start line
flew here too

Athletes come to these races from across the country and well beyond it. Here is the practical part, so the only thing you have to work out when you land is what to eat the night before.

  • Getting here

    Fly into Reno

    Reno-Tahoe International (RNO) is the closest airport — roughly forty-five minutes from Truckee and an hour from Tahoe City. Sacramento is about two hours out, San Francisco about three and a half.

  • The altitude

    Come up early

    The lake sits at 6,225 feet and most of our courses climb well above it. If you race at sea level, give yourself a couple of days here before the gun — it makes more difference than any taper.

    What thin air actually does →

  • The weekend

    Stay on the lake

    Nearly every race we run is within thirty minutes of Tahoe City or Truckee, so you can pick a bed once and race all weekend from it. Resorts through to inns and bed and breakfasts.

    Where to stay →

Course Notes

From the race directors

All notes →
Mountain biker riding a ridge trail high above Lake Tahoe

Come join us for a Big Blue Adventure of your own

Find your raceOr volunteer