Tevis Cup

Tevis Cup takes place Early August 2027 (dates TBC) in Auburn, USA. The dress code is Rugged outdoor casual for spectators - sturdy shoes, sun hat, sunscreen and far more water than you think you need for the hot canyon checkpoints. Free to attend; budget up to 400 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.

Tevis Cup in Auburn, USA
Photograph by Marion-Bourgeat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia.

The world's most famous endurance ride: 100 miles from near Lake Tahoe to Auburn, California, crossing the Sierra Nevada in a single day on the historic Western States Trail. Riders start before dawn, drop through canyons that regularly hit 40C, and must finish inside 24 hours with a horse the veterinarians pass as fit to continue. The 2026 running marks the 70th anniversary, and completion, not placing, is what the buckle represents.

When
Early August 2027 (dates TBC)
Where
Auburn, USA
Dress code
Rugged outdoor casual for spectators - sturdy shoes, sun hat, sunscreen and far more water than you think you need for the hot canyon checkpoints.
Cost
Free to attend; budget up to 400 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
Weather
Near freezing at the pre-dawn Robie Park start, then 35 - 40C in the canyons by mid-afternoon; warm at the Auburn finish
When to book
Auburn and Foresthill lodging fills months ahead for ride weekend; rider entries open in spring and cap quickly.
Getting there
SMF (Sacramento), 50 min to venue
Where to stay
Holiday Inn Auburn, Best Western Plus Auburn Inn, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe (near the start)
Official site
https://teviscup.org/

How to attend

Free for spectators with no ticketing at all. The best public vantage points are the Robie Park start area before dawn, the Foresthill checkpoint through the afternoon and evening, and the finish at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, where riders come in through the night. An official webcast and live rider trackers run all day. To ride, you must meet Western States Trail Foundation and AERC qualification rules and enter well in advance for a limited, several-hundred-dollar place.

Free to watch with no ticketing at all - you drive to the start area, the Foresthill checkpoint or the Auburn finish and stand where you like; only riders register, and they must first qualify under Western States Trail Foundation and AERC rules.

Insider tip

Foresthill in the late afternoon is the whole race in one place - riders come off the canyons visibly shattered and the crowd walks them down Main Street to the vet check, which is the most human moment of the day.

Get inside Tevis Cup

Booking matters here: auburn and Foresthill lodging fills months ahead for ride weekend; rider entries open in spring and cap quickly. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.

Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.