YOUR AD HERE »

Marathon finish line flap still unresolved

Christina Proctor

Last year’s dust has settled but the finish line for the fourth annual Lake Tahoe Marathon, slated for Oct. 10, is still not set, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Les Wright, the race director, was cited last year for allegedly refusing to move the race’s finish line. Forest Service officials claimed Wright failed to evaluate the impact of the race on a pair of nesting American bald eagles in the Truckee Marsh at Pope Beach. In March, Wright was acquitted of the two misdemeanor charges.

Wright said this year, in response to feedback from runners, the ending has been moved so the participants will double-back the last half mile.



“Runners said they didn’t like the mile walk back from Pope Beach to the road, so this year they will go around the roundabout on the road and turn around and run back to the first bend, and finish right there at the beginning,” he said.

Linda Massey, a spokeswoman for the Forest Service, said the Forest Service has yet to meet with Wright on this year’s route.



“We are still working on the bald eagle situation. It is a priority issue and everyone is working diligently to get it resolved this month, but we have not gone into negotiations with Les (Wright) yet on the final route.”

Massey said any final word on the race’s finish line would be premature.

Sign up for the 1999 marathon has already begun. Wright said around 100 runners have sent in their entry forms, some from as far away as Ireland, Morocco and Belgium. The race weekend is set for Oct. 8-10, and will be preceded by the first marathon race event week starting Oct. 3, it will coincide with the Kokanee Salmon Festival.

“Last year we had 1,600 runners. I’m working on getting a purse for the race, which will make it even more visible and credible,” he said.

Entry forms are available at the Tahoe Daily Tribune, both Sports LTD locations, Footlocker, South Tahoe Parks and Recreation Complex, Red Hut, Sierra Athletic Club, and the South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce. For more information call (530) 544-7095 or access the Web site at http://www.laketahoemarathon.com


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.