Race in the Most Beautiful Place: Mammoth Lakes Set to Host Array of Endurance Events in 2018

News provided by

Lyman Agency

Mar 29, 2018, 11:00 ET


MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (PRWEB) March 29, 2018 -- There’s a reason Olympic medalists such as runners Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi, as well as professional cyclists and triathletes call Mammoth Lakes their training home. An incredibly supportive community, jaw dropping scenery, an expansive trail system and world-class facilities combine to make Mammoth Lakes unique among altitude training destinations.

Those same attributes combine to make Mammoth Lakes one of the best places in the world to compete and this summer a full slate of events, from the three day, multi-sport challenge of the GRANITEMAN to the more manageable Mammoth Lakes 5k, to the 20th anniversary edition of the Mammoth Gran Fondo cycling event, offer visitors the chance to find out what a generation of elite distance athletes have come to know: that Mammoth Lakes is one of the best places in the world to test yourself.

Registration is now open for all of the events below. Early registration is advised, several of the events below will sell out:

  • Mammoth Lakes Half Marathon & 5K (June 17): The sister race of the iconic San Diego Half Marathon, the Mammoth Lakes Half Marathon has quickly become a favorite among elite and amature runners since it started in 2013. The course itself begins along picturesque horseshoe lake, rewarding participants as it traverses the shore lines of the Twin Lakes before descending into town for a rowdy finish line and post-race party. Like several of the races on this list, the Mammoth Half is a non-profit, with 100% of the proceeds committed to local community service projects and charities.
  • June Lake Triathlon (July 7): Dubbed “the toughest race in the most beautiful place,” the June Lake Triathlon lives up to both those promises. With several course distances, including a half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 50 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), Olympic distance (1500m swim, 25 mile bike, 6.5 mile run) and a sprint course (400m swim, 8 mile bike, 2.25 mile run) competitors can bite off as much beauty and pain as they want. All three courses run alongside the shores of June Lake, just outside of Yosemite’s Eastern gate. And every bit of that beauty is necessary to distract competitors from terrain that features more than its fair share of elevation gain.
  • Summer Ezakimak (July 21): Challenge yourself – and gravity – on an uphill moonlit 5k race from the base of Mammoth Mountain to the summit on a mountain bike or by foot. The race will follow the legendary Kamikaze bike trail. Spectators and family can greet you at the finish line and cheer you on from the summit, with an evening gondola ride to the top. Everyone can witness the July full moon rise high in the sky, and then get down at the 11,053 Sunset & Full Moon Summit Party.
  • GRANITEMAN Challenge (Sept. 7 - 9): The three day, multi-sport challenge starts with a 2.6 mile swim in June Lake to kick things off on Friday. GRANITEMAN challengers follow that up with the Mammoth Gran Fondo on Saturday (more on that below) and a 12.4 mile run over Tioga pass on Sunday. In total the course runs 116.8 miles through some of the Eastern Sierra’s most beautiful landscapes, with a total of 9,663 feet of climbing for good measure. Not your average weekend in the mountains!
  • Mammoth Gran Fondo (Sept. 8): When the Mammoth Gran Fondo rolls out of Mammoth Lakes in early September it will take cyclists on a journey past 13,000 foot mountain peaks, ancient volcanic craters, and Mono Lake, known for its extremely rare tufa formations, on one of the most spectacularly scenic routes in North America and the vast majority of it (75 miles) are closed to through traffic.
  • Kamikaze Bike Games (Sept. 21-23): In the 80’s Mammoth Mountain hosted the first ever lift-accessed mountain biking race. Back then, it was a just a couple renegades on suspension-less bikes wearing football shoulder pads and soccer shin guards. The sport has come a long way since then, but no other event on the mountain biking calendar speaks to the soul of those first couple guinea pigs quite like the Kamikaze Bike Games. Bridging the sport’s past and present into a weekend of two-wheeled shenanigans, KBG is a bucket lister for any mountain biker who has as much fun on a bike as they do off it.

In addition to the major events listed above, every week you’ll find something going on in Mammoth Lakes, whether it’s a group run or ride or a town race series event. The Mammoth Lakes Crib is a great resource for connecting into the local scene.

Check http://www.visitmammoth.com/ for more information and to get started booking a Mammoth Lakes vacation.

Tim LeRoy, Lyman Agency, +1 3124517679 Ext: 1303, [email protected]