More than 200 turn out for annual Run to the Beach


More than 200 runners turned out in North Lake Tahoe for the annual Fourth of July Run to the Beach race.
The Big Blue Adventure event, which features distances of 5 and 10 kilometers, took athletes from North Tahoe Regional Park to the finish at the Tahoe Vista Recreation Area.
Matthew Manning, 41, of Katy, Texas, won the 10K race, finishing with a time of 43 minutes, 35 seconds. Ava Schmitt, 18, of Orinda, took top honors in the women’s division, finishing with a time of 48:18.
Truckee’s Kirstie Polentz, 31, was the top local, claiming second in the women’s division with a time of 51:07. She’d be followed by another Truckee runner, Frances Finney, 56, who finished with a time of 52:05 for third place.
Reno’s Ryan Ress, 46, won the 5K with a time of 19:11. Portola Valley runner Marie Trudelle, 29, took the win in the women’s race, reaching the finish line with a time of 20:13.
After returning with events throughout June and the first week of July, organizers will take a short break before returning July 17 with the Tahoe Trail 100 Leadville Qualifier. The mountain bike race takes riders on a 100-mile route beginning and ending at Northstar California Resort.
“The Lake Tahoe area and this course are simply spectacular,” said six-time champion Dave Wiens. “Sweeping views (that incidentally you may never have a chance to look at) and a fun and challenging course. There’s a good bit of fast, fun and flowy trail riding and plenty of hills to let you know where you stand with your training. While it’s not at 10,200 feet, the approximately 6,000 to 8,000 feet of elevation will give you a taste of thinner air and begin your acclimatization process for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB.”
The following day, Big Blue Adventure will put on the annual Big Chief 50K run. The race also begins and ends at Northstar California Resort and takes athletes on 50 kilometers of trails.
For more information on Big Blue Adventure’s upcoming events or for full results, visit bigblueadventure.com.
Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2643
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