The Great Ski Race has a rich history, dating back to 1977. It was originally started as a fun, informal race to celebrate the end of a great ski season.

The Great Ski Race has gone from 60 racers being manually timed in 1977, to more than 600 racers with electronic timing in 1985, to more than 800 racers in 2001. In 2005 all records were broken, with 1109 registered racers, 1029 finishers, and the fastest women’s time yet!

The Great Ski Race was inspired by the route Jack Starratt of Tahoe City took decades ago to deliver the mail when Tahoe was cut off from “civilization” by heavy snow. Starratt Pass at 7,770 feet, near the high point of the course, honors his name and deeds. The founder of Tahoe Cross Country ski area (then called Tahoe Nordic) was Skip Reedy, who used to travel the terrain as a ski tour, and felt the course was a natural for a long ski race, something that was lacking in the Tahoe area. The race was the brainchild of Skip and his friends at Search and Rescue.

The inaugural event was in 1977, with a hardy 60 racers braving the elements and terrain on traditional “classic-style” waxable skis. Jan Bjorkheim, a former University of Utah nordic champion, won that race in a time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, while Melissa Duffy took the women’s honors in a leisurely 3:05. Now, with ultra-light racing skis, pure fluorocarbon waxes, and the faster skating technique, the men’s record is a remarkable 1:06:51 (by Marshall Greene of Bend, Oregon in 2008), and the women’s record is close-behind in 1:14:03 (by Brooke Baughman in 2005).

Those first veterans would have a hard time recognizing the modern-day Great Ski Race. Now, the thousand or so competitors line up in waves at the start line, which makes the beginning of the race a thousand-times saner for all the competitors behind the front line. Racers seed themselves (with the exception of the very fastest wave) into groups of 200 hundred or so, depending upon their expected finish time. First implemented in 2004, the waves are staggered in 3-minute increments, resulting in far fewer crashes and broken pieces of equipment in the first few kilometers.

In 2022 the race course was changed from a 30km point-to-point race (Tahoe City to Truckee) to a 26km loop course, starting and ending at the Tahoe Cross Country Nordic Center. And in 2025 a shorter 10km course was added, to allow racers the option of two different courses.

While the race has evolved, its core spirit remains the same: a celebration of cross-country skiing, camaraderie, and community support. It’s a day for everyone, from elite racers to families and recreational skiers, to come together and enjoy the beautiful Tahoe landscape.

The Great Ski Race is the only fundraiser for the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team (TNSAR), a non-profit volunteer organization that provides search and rescue services to the public.

Since its founding in 1976, TNSAR has been dedicated to providing essential services in the Tahoe Basin, often in treacherous winter conditions. The team is made up of highly trained volunteers who are experts in wilderness navigation, medical aid, and winter survival.

The funds raised from The Great Ski Race are critical for TNSAR to purchase and maintain their equipment, provide training for their volunteers, and cover operational costs. By participating in the race, you are directly supporting their mission and helping to keep the Tahoe community safe.