Trail Fit

Click here for the Lead Stories

Montana Ultramarathon is “Bearly” Civilized

Posted October 4, 2007 at 03:04 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: Destinations, U.S.A., News, Trail Running, Ultramarathons

I was perusing USATF events page, checking out all of the October races that were 27+ miles, when an interesting race name caught my eye: 

The 26th Le Grizz Ultramarathon. Startled by such a name, I wondered if the name was a play on the word “grizzled,” as in, some grizzled veterans will be running this 50 mile race, or if there might actually be grizzly bears on, or near, the race course. Once I glanced over at the location (Hungry Horse, MT), I suspected that the latter might be just as accurate as the former.

link to the official race website and, sure enough, the page background displayed a growling bear. With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, I surfed the website, run by the Cheetah Herders Athletics Club in Seeley Lake, MT.  There was a link titled “Great Moments”, so I clicked on it.

I’m not sure what I was hoping to find in a page title “Great Moments,” but I suspect that a great moment in an ultramarathon run in the middle of the Montana wilderness might be a little different than one in an ultramarathon in, say, the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex where over 6,000,000 people (including myself) reside.  I also wondered whether one of those “Great Moments” might include an actual encounter with a grizzly.

I found one entry that read, “1991 - Andy Nicoll runs in a ripped 3-piece suit as a simulated grizzly mauling victim.” Okay, there was a little drama, but it was strictly human, not ursine, in nature. But is the risk of literally running into a Grizzly Bear a real danger while running the Le Grizz Ultramarathon?

I clicked on the “Maps” link and found out that the race is run along the banks of the Hungry Horse Reservoir, which is located just south of Glacier National Park in NW Montana. This is definitely bear country. Glacier National Park is home to both Grizzlies and Black Bears.  I found this little tidbit on the Glacier National Park Bear Page published by the National Park Service:

Trail Running
While taking a jog or a run may be good exercise, joggers and runners run the risk of surprising a bear on the trail. Trail running is discouraged as there have been an increasing number of injuries and fatalities due to runners surprising bears at close range.

Whew! I couldn’t imagine having to be aware of bears during a 50 mile race.  Still, Hungry Horse Reservoir is not actually within the boundaries of Glacier National Park. Is it close enough so that the threat of bears is a real one?

Apparently so. Hungry Horse Reservoir is located just west of the Great Bear Wilderness Area. According to the Montana’s official state state travel information site, “wildlife [in the Great Bear Wilderness Area] includes wolverine, deer, elk, moose, grizzly bear, black bear, mountain goat, and mountain sheep.”

The Le Grizz race brochure states that food storage must be “in bear-proof containers.” It also states that, “the road is lightly traveled in October (before hunting season) and winds through wild, mountainous country where grizzly bear still roam. Deer, elk, moose, black bear mountain lion, bobcat and coyote are common.” The brochure also discusses what steps need to be taken if a competitor encounters a bear.

So it seems like the real deal. An Ultramarathon you can run while being chased by a Grizzly Bear. If you’re the adventurous type (or maybe even a little crazy) you can still late-register for the event, which will be held on Saturday, October 13th, 2007. The race director, on the Entry Policy page, states that he will, “personally handles late entries, and may evaluate your character flaws as a free service.” If you’re the type who doesn’t mind running 50 miles while being chased by Grizzly Bears, perhaps you won’t mind this “free evaluation,” either.

For more information about Le Grizz Ultramarathon, bears, and Montana, visit: [Le Grizz] [State of Montana] [National Park Service]

2 comments, add yours | Permalink | Share this article

Tags: 50-mile, bears grizzly bears, glacier-national-park, great-bear-wilderness, le-grizz, le-grizz-ultramarathon, ultramarathon, usatf

Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!

2 Responses to “Montana Ultramarathon is “Bearly” Civilized” (Leave a reply)