Carson’s ‘best-kept secret’: WNC hosts Tahoe Rim Trail event

Some of the best ultra-distance runners in the world took part in the 23^rd edition of the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Run (TRTER) ultra-distance marathons over the weekend, which started and finished at Western Nevada College.

The competition featured three events, from the 55-kilometer race to the 50-mile and 100-mile races.

All three events started early Saturday morning while the 100-mile competition ran into Sunday morning and afternoon.

With some trail reconfigurations this year, the 50-mile run was measured closer to 56 miles.

The 100-mile race starts at WNC and works its way up to Snow Valley Peak, Hobart’ Reservoir and Marlette Lake among various points before returning down to WNC.

FULL HOUSE 

George Ruiz, who has been the TRTER race director for the last 13 years, said the event has continued to sell out to its 600-competitor max.

“I could make it bigger, but I really don’t want it bigger because I really like the pure nature of an ultra-distance race in the mountains. If you get it too big, all you’re doing is following another runner,” said Ruiz. “It brings in plenty of money to throw a really top-flight event. We are completely non-profit … any money that is left over we donate to local charities.”

Ruiz, who is a Carson City resident, added that the Carson High cross country teams also help out with the event as volunteers.

Originally, the race started and ended at Spooner State Park. Ruiz said that as the event grew, it was his plan to move the run to Carson City.

“I wanted to make it a harder, true mountain course. I knew bringing it down to Carson City, you’ve got to be able to do a big climb just to be able to get into the mountains,” said Ruiz. “It’s been a great partnership with WNC.”

The 100-mile race was added in 2006, but designing the course for competitors isn’t too much of a challenge given the time Ruiz and company spend in the Sierra.

“It’s not really hard to design the course because we play in these trails all the time. It’s difficult to find the right combination of trails that will come out to the mileage you want,” said Ruiz, who is a former ultra-distance runner himself. “I’ve been doing it long enough now, I have all the contacts.”

A TRUE TEST

The endurance races certainly aren’t for the faint of heart.

Competitors ascended 22,000 feet in total from Carson City to Marlette Lake and Diamond Peak before returning back to the baseball field at WNC.

“This is a difficult race … finishing times, to go under 24 hours in the 100-mile is kind of the gold standard,” said Ruiz. “They hand out 110 or 120 sub-24 buckles (at other events). Today, we handed out seven.”

It marked the fourth year WNC had hosted the event and the second year the run had started and finished at John L. Harvey Field.

“We’re Carson City’s best-kept secret,” said Ruiz.

(Pictured, from left, are WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe, Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs race director George Ruiz and Carson City mayor Lori Bagwell. Ruiz has been the race director for the last 13 years. / Courtesy Western Nevada College)