It’s Tahoe Time – yeehaw!

We need a word or tagline to describe this incredible concentration of trail events happening on and around Lake Tahoe in Northern California every June. Is it Cali Week? NorCal Week? Howdy Tahoe? Good Morning ‘Merica? I’m taking suggestions – let me know what you think we should call this annual pilgrimage to Lake Tahoe, Olympic Valle accumulating in a finish on a modest high school track in Auburn, California.

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

• June 12 -16: Destination Trail’s Tahoe 200
• June 18 – 21: Broken Arrow Skyrace
• June 22-24: TrailCon
• June 24-28: Western States Endurance Runs
• June 25: TRFF’26 in Truckee, presented by Brooks*

*Okay, the last event is just a self-serving promotion for our Film Festival screening – you are welcome and you should come!

UltraSignup’s Trailhead Media calls it Tahoe Week and has a more detailed schedule of events for the entire long week – if you’re coming this one’s worth keeping handy.

I’ll be in town for TrailCon and staying through Western States. Here on Electric Cable Car I’ll try to provide updates and observations, right from the ground – stay tuned for those.

Back in 2024 I connected DT’s Tahoe 200 to the rest of the festivities. Some might find that offensive, or undeserving, and I’m not sure why this doesn’t get connected? Is this on Candice who likes to play ‘Lone Ranger’ or is this a clique thing where the some folks aren’t invited to the party?

Broken Arrow is sponsored by Nike/ACG this year, so it’ll be interesting to see how much the valley will be orange and mimic the heavy-handed branding we’ve seen the Gorge earlier this year. I am told race management has asked ACG to tone it down a bit – so we might, to my great disappointment not see the gondola painted orange after all. The other aspect worth looking out for is that this is the first post-Golden Trail Series year weekend for Broken Arrow. Will this be felt in at the races?

TrailCon will be offering 57 events in the three days between the two race weekends. Of those, over half, 33 with my counting, are considered ‘official brand activations’ and sponsored by a shoe brand or hydration brand provider. Is this the hidden genius of TrailCon? They found a way to charge brands a fee to officially promote their activation? TrailCon here gives brands which are not affiliated with Broken Arrow or Western States a platform and helps them promote their activation, which they probably would’ve anyway in in the lead up to WSER. Compare this to UTMB week in Chamonix. HOKA, as title sponsor (and all their other official sponsors) get their activations listed on the official schedule, but everyone else is considered “ambush marketing” in some way or another.

This massive week in trail running will be climaxing with the historic Western States Endurance Run. Is this event under threat to feel drowned out by all the new shiny efforts being put on by brands and businesses entering the trail space? Will it still feel historic and important? What will the brands – like HOKA – do to stand out against the displays ACG is putting on at Broken Arrow? What will WSER do to not have their story be told just by the for profit businesses entering the space.

Yes, this extended week is about the races and performances, but I’ll be looking for the stories found between the lines and results.