The Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon and 50K distances begin at Mason Station with an out and back on McCoy Road (You will be bused to the start). After returning to Mason Station, you'll jump onto the Bizz Johnson Trail and travel 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 former railroad tunnels, 800 feet and 450 feet in length.
The Bizz Johnson Marathon was the 481st largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 420th largest in 2022.
This year 2.5% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and no runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Bizz Johnson Marathon the 442nd highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 341st highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 98.02 ranks it as the 319th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 26th fastest course in California.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Bizz Johnson Marathon a PR Score of 98.02. This PR Score ranks it as the 261st fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 18th fastest in California.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Bizz Johnson Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 5579 feet (1700m) Min Elevation: 4254 feet (1296m)
