Bass Lake – The 10th Annual Yosemite Half Marathon, a race centered around breathtaking vistas on National Park and Forest Service lands, takes place May 10-11, 2024 on the Bass Lake Ranger District.
Race Expo Leads Off on Friday, May 10
Runners and spectators will begin arriving Friday, May 10th, at Recreation Point Campground for the Race Expo. The race will take place on Saturday, May 11th from 5:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The planned course takes runners on fire roads through the Sierra National Forest just north of Bass Lake. They then travel down Beasore Road and around part of Bass Lake, ending at Recreation Point.
Roads Crowded with Runners, Some Closed
During race hours some 3,200 runners on the roads start on forest road 6S40 off Sky Ranch Road. They then come down Beasore Road, crossing onto Highway 274 from Beasore Road to The Pines Resort. The road will be closed for the runners’ safety. Please use the detour to North Fork in order to get to Oakhurst, if necessary. North Shore Rd will be open but will have heavy runner traffic from The Pines Resort to Recreation Point Campground. Traffic will continue to operate, but drivers should expect delays.
Use Alternate Routes
If at all possible, plan to avoid traveling in these areas during these hours. The event coordinators would like to express their apology in advance for any inconvenience this may cause residents.
Bridgette Barney of Race Operations says,
“This is our tenth year holding this race and the reason we are able to come back each year and bring so many runners is large part in thanks to the support and cooperation of the Bass Lake and Oakhurst community.” said Race Operations, Bridgette Barney.“We really appreciate being allowed to hold this event and help our runners discover, or re-discover, the beauty of the Sierra National Forest and Yosemite. We hold these races all across the country and the communities of Oakhurst and Bass Lake are the best to work with!”
The event has over 3,200 running participants and will bring around 6,000+ people to the Bass Lake area. Vacation Races operates this activity under a U.S. Forest Service special use permit with the Sierra National Forest. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Josh Oliveri (503) 926-2497 or josh@vacationraces.com.
About Vacation Races
Motivated by a vision of promoting health, natural beauty, well-being and creating memories, Vacation Races produces beautiful half-marathons against the backdrop of our country’s majestic national parks. Founded in 2012, and providing the only national park races, Vacation Races’ foray into racing events focused on three different, regional parks – Zion, Rocky Mountain and Lake Powell. Now expanded with nation-wide and international opportunities, Vacation Races hosts 20+ races across the United States and race-centered travel adventures in over 13 countries. For more information on Vacation Races, visit their website at http://www.vacationraces.com/.