The finale of Big Blue Adventure’s Tahoe Trail Running Series will take place this weekend with the running of the second annual Great Trail Race.

The race will take competitors on a point-to-point route from Truckee to Tahoe City, with options to either run or bike the two separate courses.

The race will mark an end to Big Blue Adventure’s trail running season, and will benefit Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue, Inc. Last year’s race raised roughly $2,000 for Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue.

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“It’s about triple the size as last year,” said Director of Operations Bryan Rickards. “We’ve had significant increase in the number of participants, and really want to highlight our partners North Lake Tahoe Resort Association and Truckee Chamber of Commerce.”

Rickards said last year’s race had roughly 100 competitors, with this year’s event already pulling in around 230 athletes along with dozens more expected to sign up by race day on Sunday, Oct. 8.

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The race will be broken down into two routes, the longer 21.55-mile Elite Course and the 17.9 Classic course, with options to run or mountain bike either distance.

“The Elite Course has lot more single track and is more technical,” said Rickards. “The Classic Course is more mellow and on more fire roads.”

Racing begins with the bikes leaving the start line at the 06 Fire Road at 9 a.m. near Truckee. The runners begin 10 minutes later.

The Classic Course will feature a route through the Tahoe National Forest, while the Elite Course meanders further south around Painted Rock, and then to the finish line at Highlands Community Center in Tahoe City.

“It’s a great fall race that really showcases the trails between Truckee and Tahoe,” Rickards said. “Many people will do the Truckee trails or the Tahoe trails, and this is great way to link them up.”

The race will also be the last of Big Blue Adventure’s events for the year, with the race organizers putting on dozens of events from spring through fall, including biking, running, triathlons, paddleboarding, and swimming.

“Its been super successful,” said Rickards on 2017. “Most of our events grew 10 to 20 percent and some, like this upcoming event have doubled in size. We’re up around 20 percent overall, and it’s because great employees and support from the community.”

Rickards said Big Blue Adventure already has registration open for next year’s Tahoe Trail Running Series, along with plans of organizing even more events for 2018.

Registration for the event is open until 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, with onsite registration available the morning before the races. There is also a category for a two-person team, with one person running and the other biking. Registration costs between $65 and $80 for individual racers, depending on distance and age of competitor.

There will also be shuttles provided before the race from Tahoe City to the start line, allowing competitors to park near the finish area. An awards ceremony will follow the race.

With the race being the finale of the Tahoe Trail Running Series, the Tahoe Truckee Running Championship will also be decided, with winners announced later due to the series’ point system. The racers top three finishes throughout the series will be scored, with additional races serving as a tiebreaker if necessary.

For more information or to register visit TahoeTrailRunning.com.