About the Race

Welcome to the Elkhorn Endurance Runs—Montana's oldest trail ultra! Our race is a a tough event set against the backdrop of the historic and rugged Elkhorn Mountains. We have yet to have a finisher tell us they've run a tougher 50.

You'll tackle steep challenging terrain to see sweeping alpine views, a historic ghost town and cemetery, and maybe deer, elk, moose, bear, coyote, mountain goat, and other wild critters. The courses are 75% technical single track trail, 25% primitive jeep road and maybe 1 mile of maintained dirt Forest Service road. The 50 mile gains 13,400 feet with a maximum elevation just shy of 9,000’.

Schedule & Start Time

Packet pick up: We encourage 50 mile and 50k runners to pick up the 1st Friday in August 4:00-6:30 pm at the Montana City Volunteer Fire Department, Station 1. Course briefings are held at 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm. Packet pick up is also available, primarily for 13.1 milers, beginning 4:30 am race morning.

50 mile start: 5:00 am with mandatory check in beginning at 4:30
50k start: 7:00 am
13.1 mile start: 8:00 am
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK IN AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR RACE STARTS!

Location, Camping, Parking

All races start and finish at the Willard Creek Trailhead at the end of Forest Service Road 4014. Camp there before the start! Just don't bring a tow-behind trailer. Allow at least 45 minutes driving time from Helena. Parking does get congested, especially for the 13.1 milers, so please carpool!

Aid Stations and Crewing

Our aid stations are stocked well (unless a bear gets into our supplies) by ATVs, horsepack, and human power. Only one aid station, Elkhorn Town (mile 20 of the 50 mile) is accessible by vehicle and is often where crew go. Spectators often hike ~2.5 miles into Teepee Creek Aid Station to catch their runners with ~10 miles to go to the finish.

The 50 mile course has 8 well stocked aid stations with 7 miles as the longest distance between; drop bags are available at mile 20. The 50k has 5 aid stations with 8 miles as the longest distance between. The 13.1 has two aid stations with 6 miles as the longest distance between.

Swag & Post-Race Vibes

All runners can expect a print drawn by our race director John Hallsten, a piece of custom race kit, and other goodies. Stick around at the finish for food, drinks, and a wholesome atmosphere to share trail stories.

What our Event Supports

The Elkhorn Endurance Runs are a 100% volunteer event brought to you by the nonprofit the Helena Ultra Runners League (HURL). We put on this event to bring together our community and show off our incredible backyard trails. Every year, HURL awards a scholarship to a community-driven high school cross country athlete and makes annual donations to local non-profit organizations that help our Helena running community and this event happen: the Capital City Amateur Radio Club, Elkhorn Search and Rescue, Capital Trail Vehicle Association, our backcountry stock packers, and the Montana City Volunteer Fire Department. Because of this race, and in partnership with the Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest, these coveted trails are cleared each year. We love our volunteers so much that we ever host an appreciation picnic the Thursday after the race for our volunteers.

Disclaimer

This is a remote race through rugged terrain that hinges on the safety and happiness of our volunteers. Depending on seasonal fire restrictions and/or smoke conditions, there is always a chance that the race could be changed to a self-supported format or cancelled. We will announce any change or plans or required special procedures via UltraSignUp for registrants and our social media.

Event's current local time: 12:54 AM MT