All Trails Lead Here: June Trail Running Events in Olympic Valley

While the snow is melting in the Sierras, we are gearing up for summer activities ahead. The mountains host a plethora of opportunities for adventure seekers all year round. With trail running, hiking, and spectating, Palisades Tahoe remains a hub for mountain culture. After a fun season of skiing and riding, we welcome the snowmelt to our lakes and hiking feet to our trails as we prepare for another great summer in the Valley.

This June, a multitude of trail running races are coming back. From a one-day 5k to the world-renowned 100-miler to Auburn, you can choose to participate, spectate, or create your own adventure across our hiking network. Each event varies in length and background, but they all begin at Palisades and cater to the trail running community and culture of North Lake Tahoe.

Girls On the Run 5k

The season starts on June 6th with Girls On the Run Sierras Spring 5k. Girls on the Run is an organization built to empower women through activities and community. They have coaches who lead sessions of movement and classes on emotional awareness, friendship, and empathy. They host 5k events at the end of each season for participants in the program. The Spring race allows runners a sense of accomplishment after having completed these sessions and is treated as a larger event for the community as a whole. You can support the event by running as a buddy to a participant, volunteering along the course or in the “Girl Village”, or even as a ‘Happy Sleeper” from home.

Big Blue Adventure 5k, 8 Miler, and Half Marathon

Big Blue Adventures ups the ante on June 13 with three race options for the day. Take in the sights of the Sierras with 5k, 8-Miler, and half-Marathon options. The courses loop through the valley on trails and on the local bike path, so you can get a bit of everything. All three races start and finish in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. Even if you don’t want to run, there will be plenty going on in the valley with the running community all around.

Broken Arrow Skyrace

On June 18-21, ACG presents the Broken Arrow Skyrace, which kicks off a week and a half of running events at Palisades Tahoe. Broken Arrow offers eight distance options plus a kids’ race throughout this extended weekend. Inspired by Europe’s Skyraces, the courses are mapped out to showcase the beauty of Lake Tahoe- “where the mountains meet the sky”. Despite the breathtaking beauty on the course, you’ll also experience off-trail scrambling, steep terrain, hand lines, a ladder, and lots of vertical gain and loss.

Outside the races themselves, there will be a large vendor village at the base area, hosting world-class food & drink, music, seminars, workshops, and film screenings. Whether you’re running in it or sipping a beer in the village, this four-day event is a festival with fun for the whole family.

TrailCon

TrailCon comes in June 22-24 to bridge the gap between two iconic races, Broken Arrow Skyrace and Western States Endurance Run. The event organizers saw an opportunity to bring together high-performance athletes already in town for these elite races and created a 3-day running convention open to everyone. Brands, athletes, and fans come together to learn and celebrate their love for this sport and the community that comes with it. Throughout the convention, there are speaker panels, over 60 brands in the vendor village, demo days, and group runs. All are focused on inspiring and educating the people involved. This event is 100% free to attend and has space for all interested parties.

Western States Endurance Run

With the grand finale of Trail Running Races in the Valley comes the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race. The Western States Endurance Run begins in Olympic Valley and ends in Auburn, California, climbing more than 18,000 feet and descending almost 23,000 feet throughout the course. The trail winds through the Granite Chief Wilderness, the canyons of the California Gold Country, the Middle Fork of the American River, and finishes on the reddish-brown trails leading to Auburn. Western States has been a legendary test of human endurance for over five decades. It would not be possible without the help of over 1,500 volunteers and a dedicated trail running community who come together to make this unique race happen. The event itself begins early in the morning on June 27th, but festivities begin right after TrailCon on June 25th.

Trail running is just one way to discover this big backyard. If you’re eager to get out on the trails outside of these events, check out our Hiking Guide! We have trails from the Base Area, Guided hikes with naturalists from High Camp, plus pristine meadows and lakes to explore. Our Hiking Guide shows options for all hiking abilities and even shares insights into what flora and fauna you can find.

All of these races vary in distance, time, course route, and more, but they all have the value of community in common. Events like these exist to inspire. To celebrate this year’s athletes and motivate the next generation. You can join the community as a participant or spectator and still honor that mountain connection that drives us all to explore the outdoors. This June, come see for yourself why The Trail Times called Palisades Tahoe “The Trail Running Capital of the West”. We are more than a ski mountain; we are the community hub of trail culture, and we want you to experience it all.