This event is produced by Vacation Races and is the second race of the year in the National Park Half Marathon Series. Enjoy a fast, scenic course through the woods outside of Yosemite National Park! The Yosemite Half Marathon course does not take place in Yosemite National Park. The course runs …
MORE
This event is produced by Vacation Races and is the second race of the year in the National Park Half Marathon Series. Enjoy a fast, scenic course through the woods outside of Yosemite National Park! The Yosemite Half Marathon course does not take place in Yosemite National Park. The course runs about 10 miles south of Yosemite National Park in Bass Lake, CA. Most of the pre and post-race activities will be held in Bass Lake and nearby Oakhurst, CA.
The first 5 miles of our course will start on Fire Rd and is on a rough terrain trail. There is no steep uphill or downhill here, but it’s not exactly flat either. The last 8.1 miles are identical to our inaugural course. Miles 6-10 are a fast downhill descent on a beautiful paved road. Then after crossing RD-274 (Malum Ridge Rd) you will turn right on N Shore Road. You will run on N Shore Road around Bass Lake until about mile 12.25. From there you will take a left on S Shore Rd. The race will finish at Recreation Point.
LESS
Good race, mostly downhill
Not really super close to Yosemite--little over an hour away. Overall pretty race, ends at a lake. The water stations were positioned perfectly. Little hiccup with the busses, but was … MORE
Not really super close to Yosemite–little over an hour away. Overall pretty race, ends at a lake. The water stations were positioned perfectly. Little hiccup with the busses, but was not the race companies fault. Even so was happier for a later start for the top to warm up. The clothing drop was clutch–first race I’ve done that had that–was SO thankful for it. More races should do this.
A beautiful and we'll managed race
Gorgeous course featuring 4 miles on forest trail and about 10 miles of downhill, about half of that being pretty serious and continuous downhill that tests your quads. Great bling, … MORE
Gorgeous course featuring 4 miles on forest trail and about 10 miles of downhill, about half of that being pretty serious and continuous downhill that tests your quads. Great bling, great management. I did have to wait quite a while in the queue for a port a potty around mile 5-6. My friend went in the words a couple of times instead of waiting. So I’d say more potties were needed. Finish line was average for post race food quality but there was plenty of it. They had a merch tent at the finish line that was quite nice. I’d definitely do another Vacation Race based on this experience.
Views for days
Well planned, amazing course, ending in a beautiful views! Park early to grab the shuttle and have time to get mentally ready for the race. Dress warm, in the morning … MORE
Well planned, amazing course, ending in a beautiful views!
Park early to grab the shuttle and have time to get mentally ready for the race.
Dress warm, in the morning there’s a gear drop to shed layers before the race.
Trails and Hills!
The shuttle wait was long because there were issues with the first wave (they said people were late and it's never happened that way before). The bus ride up the … MORE
The shuttle wait was long because there were issues with the first wave (they said people were late and it’s never happened that way before). The bus ride up the mountain took about 45 min — took this time to use the restroom on the bus. The start was a little strange – I arrived after the first wave and about 30 min before the second. People were just starting, so that’s what I did, which was nice because I didn’t have a crowd. The first few miles were rough getting used to the altitude and the rocky trail. I never felt unsafe, however. During this time the scenery is all woods and creeks – beautiful. Once you turn onto the paved road, the fun begins. Flats and downhills keep you moving FAST! The occasional vista pops out between trees. After the mountain portion and you enter into town, you can expect a very suburban feel and small rolling hills (so be prepared to slow down after the fast downhill). The volunteers/safety staff were awesome and so supportive! Be careful entering the finish area – it’s crowded with campers and the sidewalk is narrow. Finish line is also crowded so move to the back to stay out of people’s way. Tell your family to get on the bus EARLY – My family missed my finish because they were stuck in line.
Well organized, awesome scenery!
The organizers had everything planned ahead of time and things ran smoothly. The race is a great value compared to other vacation or destination races. If you register early, plan … MORE
The organizers had everything planned ahead of time and things ran smoothly. The race is a great value compared to other vacation or destination races. If you register early, plan your trip ahead of time and get to the event early on race day you will benefit even more for an overall great experience. The views are amazing and it’s a great compliment to a trip to Yosemite National Park.
Tougher than I thought it would be.
Really study the elevation chart. Areas where it might seem flat are not because of the overall spread of the chart... The first 5k are uphill rugged terrain trail and … MORE
Really study the elevation chart. Areas where it might seem flat are not because of the overall spread of the chart… The first 5k are uphill rugged terrain trail and the last 5K are definite rolling Hills around Bass lake. It was an absolute fantastically beautiful race! Don’t miss it!!
Semi difficult, amazing views
Several factors to consider in this race. Starting temps can be close to freezing, elevation at the starting line, trail part of the course can really do a number on … MORE
Several factors to consider in this race. Starting temps can be close to freezing, elevation at the starting line, trail part of the course can really do a number on you if you arent ready, and just getting up early enough to start!
The scenery is amazing, running through the Sierra Nevada mountains as the sun comes over the ridge is definitely an amazing sight. A few small creek crossings depending on weather conditions, and some awesome vistas from beginning to end.
Tips?
-Train for trail and downhill runs. Tape your knees, both of them.
-Dress in layers, I shed two layers over the course of the race.
-Bring small snacks, the look on the faces of other racers when I brought out a twix at mile 5 confirmed that I made a good choice, and they were all jealous.
-enjoy the race.
Always amazing.
This race, although does not run inside the park, is awesome! Top notch medal, great expo, and gives you a chance to explore the park and get a half PR.... … MORE
This race, although does not run inside the park, is awesome! Top notch medal, great expo, and gives you a chance to explore the park and get a half PR…. bass lake is beautiful, easy to get too, and a great pace to stay. Vacation races puts on a great race!
What more could you ask for?!
The scenery was incredible - waterfalls, rivers, trees! The aid stations were well stocked and frequent, plus they had goodies at the end of the race as well. The shuttle … MORE
The scenery was incredible – waterfalls, rivers, trees! The aid stations were well stocked and frequent, plus they had goodies at the end of the race as well. The shuttle buses made it easy to get to and from the race without issue. And the staff and volunteers were all friendly and amazing! They kept the waves going frequently so there was not a lot of waiting around at all, and it did not feel crowded either. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone at any level!
Beautiful run, would do again.
Some hiccups with the parking shuttles due to circumstances out of the organizers control, but had a blast on the actual race. Beautiful course though wasn't ready for the long … MORE
Some hiccups with the parking shuttles due to circumstances out of the organizers control, but had a blast on the actual race. Beautiful course though wasn’t ready for the long fast downhill!
Beautiful scenery
Beautiful scenery! Race starts off in woods on trail but second half is on road/pavement. Starting is cold and we had to wait outside for buses to shuttle us to … MORE
Beautiful scenery! Race starts off in woods on trail but second half is on road/pavement. Starting is cold and we had to wait outside for buses to shuttle us to starting line.
First time in Yosemite
It was an early morning to catch the bus to the race start. The charter bus was on time and left promptly and it was a very comfy ride. The … MORE
It was an early morning to catch the bus to the race start. The charter bus was on time and left promptly and it was a very comfy ride. The race started on time with 5 miles downhill on an old jeep trail and gorgeous scenery. After that we ran on highways mostly downhill but also some uphill grades. It was a beautiful run and was thankful for the early start as the temps started to rise. There was a bit of congestion at the finish line but overall a great race with plenty of hydration stations and portalets along the way. The packetpickup and expo were very nice and the camping was great too.
Great race
Fun race, majority downhill which made me feel like a kid again and just let go at times. Club hikes make for an added bonus and the staff at vacation … MORE
Fun race, majority downhill which made me feel like a kid again and just let go at times. Club hikes make for an added bonus and the staff at vacation races are amazing.
how much more downhill is there?
Mild 5 miles down, fast next 5 down, and then get me to the finish. Amazing weather and scenery. Some hiccups with trying to get soooo many up the forestry … MORE
Mild 5 miles down, fast next 5 down, and then get me to the finish. Amazing weather and scenery. Some hiccups with trying to get soooo many up the forestry road. I chose to walk to the pickup spot which saved lots of time instead of waiting to park.
Wow, I loved this race and Yosemite!
Really well run race, beautiful medals, love the Trifecta Challenge- made me go sightseeing after and it was so worth it! This was my first Vacation Race National Park race, … MORE
Really well run race, beautiful medals, love the Trifecta Challenge- made me go sightseeing after and it was so worth it! This was my first Vacation Race National Park race, I usually save my money for marathons but I am hooked, I will be doing more of these races, can’t wait to see all the other parks over the next few years! Where else can you make your own s’mores while getting your race package!
Wow!
This race gave a Florida girl the chance to explore beautiful Yosemite. The campground at Bass lake was nice with flush toilets (no showers) and great company. The course was … MORE
This race gave a Florida girl the chance to explore beautiful Yosemite. The campground at Bass lake was nice with flush toilets (no showers) and great company.
The course was beautiful, the downhill made me feel like a Kenyan and the medals are a work of art.
The only cons of the weekend were lack of parking at expo and the shuttle service was delayed (apparently due to no fault from the organizers, contracted units didn’t arrive). I would definitely recommend this race and hope to run it again!
Recommended but needs improvement
The race itself is great and I would recommend it. Bib pickup was pretty easy (though they would have benefited from more parking attendants). Volunteers and staff have always been … MORE
The race itself is great and I would recommend it. Bib pickup was pretty easy (though they would have benefited from more parking attendants). Volunteers and staff have always been friendly and helpful. The course is scenic, and the downhill definitely helped with my time. As a non-trail runner, the rolling hills for the first 5 miles and the last 3 miles were a challenge, especially since I didn’t train very well for this race. I also didn’t realize there was an incline during the downhill portion, so that’s something to keep in mind.
What needs to improve: race parking communication. Whoever was in charge of parking did not have it altogether. Heat 1 parking did not get priority for some reason. We got there are 3:50am, and a couple shuttles were already there being loaded. The last shuttle was supposed to leave at 4:30am. We got in line by 4:15am and the line quickly grew to at least 300 people behind us. Three buses showed up. The first one was loaded and then left. The next two buses drove forward, and we were thinking we would get on one of them since we were in the front. To our surprise, the buses (empty at that) continued driving past us and left. No one stopped them, and by the looks of the volunteers, they had no idea why they left. Someone quickly got on the walkie talkie to figure out what was going on.
From what we could gather, the buses were redirected to another location for whatever reason. The lady in charge at our location was arguing on the walkie talkie with another staff member who said he already had at least 1 bus loaded. He sounded upset that he would have to tell the people on the bus to get off because then they would be mad at him (So what? Do your job!). Our heroine of the day responded, “Absolutely! You need to get those people off the bus. Heat 1 has priority.”
A little bit past 5am, a bus finally showed up and we were able to board. We got to the start line at 5:45am, and I had to rush to do everything I planned to do before the 6am Wave 1 start (restroom, gear check, too late for the raffle). Thankfully, I got to start on time, but the waves didn’t seem very defined, so if they could divide starts by waves instead of a whole heat, that would be helpful, especially since parts of the beginning of the course are narrow.
While some people had no idea about the whole shuttle debacle, the ones that had witnessed it firsthand had a pretty bad experience the morning of the race. I know of at least one 1:50 pacer who wasn’t able to make it to the start in time and therefore wasn’t able to help pace. Overall, I am a fan of Vacation Races, and all other aspects of the race are done well and impressively; this was just an unfortunate problem that will hopefully be remedied.
My favorite running experience ever
I loved every moment of this race. The scenery was ceaselessly beautiful and the weather turned out perfect - nicely chilly at the start, blue skies throughout, and perfectly warm … MORE
I loved every moment of this race. The scenery was ceaselessly beautiful and the weather turned out perfect – nicely chilly at the start, blue skies throughout, and perfectly warm at the end. I did not find the course too hard, although my legs did hurt the next day from all the downhill running. The water and aid stations were very well stocked and numerous – I never felt like it was too much of a stretch to get to one. I did have to wait for a shuttle but I was not mad about it. I had been training for this race for 9 months and travelled across the country to get there, and I was just excited to be living that experience at last. We spent the rest of the weekend hiking in Yosemite which is about the most awesome and glorious place on earth. If I did not live so far, I would happily do this one again. This was my favorite race I have ever done and I hope to do more of these national park races. I loved every minute!
Such a great race!
Highly enjoyable course with great views yet challenging. Loved the trail portion of the course with all the trees and rushing rivers! You do have to watch your step though … MORE
Highly enjoyable course with great views yet challenging. Loved the trail portion of the course with all the trees and rushing rivers! You do have to watch your step though as there a rocks and sticks along the way. But it’s a trail so yeah… The long downhill portion of the run give you an opportunity for a PR! Beat up my quads but I enjoyed those fast miles. Lots of aid stations with water, electrolytes, stinger packs and oranges! I would say the finish line needs to be improved. Thick grass and an uneven surface was a bit treacherous for unstable legs after that downhill. An absolutely gorgeous medal and chocolate milk and boxed snacks at the end. Overall, I loved it and will run again!
Another great Vacation Races event!
A beautiful course, not terribly difficult and, like all Vacation Races events, an awesome medal and t-shirt! The race expo is fun and sets you up for an all-around great … MORE
A beautiful course, not terribly difficult and, like all Vacation Races events, an awesome medal and t-shirt! The race expo is fun and sets you up for an all-around great weekend. The start line is a bit of a hassle as there is no drop-off point, all runners have to be shuttled in. The finish line seemed a bit disorganized – it was hard hard to find race results and gear check items. Everything else more than made up for those issues, though, and I would definitely run it again.