You ride a bus up the Mt. Rose Highway before dawn to a start near 8,900 feet, where the air is thin and cold enough that you will want a throwaway layer even in May; the first miles fall through pine forest, and the smell of sun-warmed resin arrives as the light does. The descent is relentless, close to 4,800 feet of loss, and most of it is done by mile 11, after which the route flattens and adds a few gentle climbs into Reno before finishing at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Downhill courses punish untrained quads, so do long runs on grades. The 2026 inaugural had 543 marathon finishers. A 2027 return has not been confirmed and registration is closed as of mid-October 2026, so check the REVEL site before you plan a trip. Boston accepts the course, but net-downhill time adjustments apply.
Starts at the Mt. Rose Highway summit (8,911 ft per organizer) and descends through Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest into Reno, finishing at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center; reviewers describe the drop as concentrated in the first 11 miles with a flatter, rolling second half. Course map ↗
Registration closed as of 2026-10-14 with no 2027 opening announced; organizer invites inquiries at tahoe@runrevel.com. REVEL advertises a 'generous transfer/defer policy'. Fees not published on fetched pages (pricing page returned 404). Register ↗
- The marathon starts at the summit of the Mt. Rose Highway at 8,911 ft and ends at the Reno Sparks Convention Center; the organizer says the course is USATF certified (certification noted as pending on the course page). ↗
- FindMyMarathon records 4,786 ft of loss and 328 ft of gain, 543 finishers in 2026, and a 4.6% BQ rate; it notes a 10-minute Boston qualifying adjustment because of the net drop. ↗
- Course time limit is based on a 15:00/mile pace, about 6:30, so finishers must be in by 12:33 p.m. after the 6:00 a.m. start. ↗
- RaceRaves lists 2026 as the inaugural event; one reviewer described it as 'likely a one time event' and reviewers noted cold, windy conditions at the finish. ↗
Checked 2026-10-14. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.