2020 EVENT WILL BE VIRTUAL ONLY.
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The Bizz Johnson Trail begins at Mason Station and travels through scenic Lassen National Forest. The first few miles of the course climb 280 feet through the forest to Westwood Junction, then it’s downhill to the finish at Susanville, with a 1300-foot descent over the final 20 miles. The trail follows the route of the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific Railroad, built in 1914.
Roughly two-thirds of the way through the race, the trail enters the Susan River Canyon. Here, you’ll pass orange cliffs and cross the river ten times on picturesque wooden railroad bridges. About four miles from the finish, you’ll pass through two old railroad tunnels, 800 feet and 450 feet in length.
Although many runners set PRs and qualify for the Boston Marathon, please note that the course is at altitude (4,200′ – 5,600′).
There are two different half marathon races. The Express Half Marathon on Saturday does the second half of the full marathon. You will be bused to a remote start. The Half Marathon (& 10 Km) on Sunday starts in Susanville and goes out and back using only the last quarter of the full marathon route
Course Details
What could be sweeter? An 8-foot wide trail that winds for 26 miles through gorgeous country on an old railroad bed with grades never steeper than 2%–and an overall elevation loss of 1000’. The Bizz Johnson trail traverses some of the most beautiful and inaccessible country in California’s Sierra foothills. One of the finest gems in the national rails-to-trails network, it’s also arguably the country’s most scenic marathon route, and particularly impressive in the fall when gorgeous seasonal foliage is on display.
The trail follows the route of the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific railroad, which was built in 1914 by the Southern Pacific Railroad to service the logging community of Westwood. The line delivered lumber all the way to Fernley, Nevada, where it was shipped to markets throughout the nation and even the world. The Bizz Johnson course winds 26.2 miles from Mason Station to Susanville. The last 16 miles traverse through the rugged Susan River Canyon, crossing the river 12 times on picturesque wood railroad bridges and passing through two tunnels, 800 feet and 450 feet in length. In the first 12 miles, the course gradually climbs 500 feet from Westwood to Westwood Junction, then descends 1,300 feet over the last 14 miles from Westwood Junction to the finish line in Susanville.
The trail surface is aggregate material that’s fast on the feet and soft on the knees. The Susan River canyon is ecologically unique, as it encompasses characteristics of three distinct geological provinces: the Great Basin, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade Range, featuring semi-arid canyon, high desert landscape, grassland, oak woodlands, and a forest of pine and cedar. The trail is used by horseback riders, hikers, joggers, and mountain bicyclists and is popular in the winter months among cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.
Many birds are attracted to the plants along the river–look for belted kingfishers, hooded orioles, calliope hummingbirds, and canyon wrens. Also keep your eyes open for turkey vultures, American kestrels, great horned owls, and other birds of prey. The Susan River attracts beavers, who build their dams with riverbank brush. Lucky observers may catch a glimpse of bats, raccoons, porcupines, coyotes, and even black bears. The river features a wild trout fishery that attracts catch-and-release anglers, and offers big but wily rainbow and brown trout for those with the skill and patience to catch them. A few adventurous whitewater kayakers visit the canyon rapids during high water in the spring.
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Flat and fast rail trail course
This race really exceeded my expectations. There was a farmer's market and chili cookoff at the packet pickup, which created a festive atmosphere. The shuttle bus pickup went off without … MORE
This race really exceeded my expectations. There was a farmer’s market and chili cookoff at the packet pickup, which created a festive atmosphere. The shuttle bus pickup went off without a hitch, but it was below freezing at the start which was at an altitude above 5,000 feet. My breathing was rather heavy right off the bat, but settled down after a couple of miles. It didn’t seem like I was running very fast at first, but in hindsight I should have started out a little slower or taken more frequent walk breaks from the start. The first half of the course was through mainly pine forest, but the vegetation an terrain got better the closer we got to the Susan River. The day before, I saw Scrub Jays, White-crowned Sparrows, Steller’s Jays, and some smaller birds that I couldn’t identify with certainty, but may have been Dark-eyed Juncos. Most of the finishing times were faster than the average trail run, so this would be a good race for a beginner or for someone wanting to PR. There was a good selection of food and drink at the finish, and the 50K finishers were given a ceramic drink coaster and a medal.
Beautiful course, small-town event
This is a really well done event for a small-town race, with an ideal course surface (slight downhill on fine gravel, on an old converted railroad track trail) through the … MORE
This is a really well done event for a small-town race, with an ideal course surface (slight downhill on fine gravel, on an old converted railroad track trail) through the foothills of Lassen National Park. They have several events to choose from: I ran the half marathon on Saturday (as opposed to the out and back option on Sunday), and I was really happy with that choice, since the first 6 miles are especially beautiful. It is a small race, which can either be awesome or boring, depending on what you’re looking for – but the natural beauty and fresh mountain air (it is at elevation) makes it super enjoyable. The weather was perfect both years I ran it (2014 and 15) – would do it again if scheduling allows! The slight downhill cancels out the elevation as far as impact on pace (in my experience), and the grade is very slight so you won’t destroy your quads – though I can’t speak to the first 13 miles of the full marathon. They do a great job at the finish line with post-run snacks too, especially for a small event – M & Ms, oranges, hot soup / chili, and a free Sierra Nevada beer. The shirts are all right, and the medal is lacking, but those should not be the reasons you choose this race anyhow! If you’re looking for a beautiful, mellow fall race on a great surface, this is a good choice.