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Big Blue Adventure

Before you enter

The things
people ask us

Collected from twenty-four years of packet pick-ups. If yours is not here, the office picks up the phone.

Getting started

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.

Race day and the rules

Are relay teams an option?
In triathlon and duathlon, yes — two or three-person relays where each member does one leg. In adventure racing most events offer solo, two, three or four-person teams, often with all-male, all-female or coed categories. Some running events are scored as teams too: you run your own race and your time is combined with your teammates’, with the fastest five counting.
Are there cut-off times?
On some events, yes — the half-distance triathlons have them, and so do the endurance runs longer than 50K. They are published on each event’s page, not sprung on you at an aid station.
Are dogs allowed?
At the Tail Wagger 5K, absolutely — that is the whole point of it. Elsewhere it depends on the land manager and the course, so email us before you enter and we will tell you straight.
Are walkers allowed?
At most of our running events, yes. Check the event page for the cut-off and start there.
Do you rent wetsuits?
Not on site. We recommend contacting Synergy Wetsuits, who rent at good rates and know these events.
Is there a pro or elite wave?
Occasionally, depending on demand. Usually the events run age group, athena, clydesdale and relay divisions only, and there is no prize money. People come for the course.
Who sanctions your triathlons?
USA Triathlon, the governing body for the sport in the United States. They sanction and insure our triathlon events.
How cold is the water, really?
Typical race-morning temperatures: Lake Tahoe Triathlon and the Lake Tahoe Open Water Swim around 68-69°F, Donner Lake around 69°F, the Tahoe Off-Road Triathlon at Tahoe City around 64°F. UC Davis publishes live Tahoe water temperature and it is a good resource — though their readings tend to run colder than what a swimmer feels on the surface.
What happened to XTERRA?
An XTERRA is an off-road triathlon — a normal triathlon with mountain biking instead of road riding and trail running instead of road running. The series is owned and produced by TEAM Unlimited and started in Maui in 1996. We produced XTERRA Lake Tahoe and XTERRA Tahoe City for years; that race now runs under its own name as the Tahoe Off-Road Triathlon, on the same lake and the same singletrack.