Hurry! You’re quickly running out of time to participate in one of the biggest races of the year in the Bighorn area.
The 22nd annual Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Runs is scheduled for 11 a.m. June 20.
On this day, athletes from all over will show up to race for bragging rights for The Bighorn Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, which is in its 13th year. The 50M, 50K and 30K races will be the next day on June 21.
Whether you’re a frequent marathon runner or a novice 5k runner, there’s a place for you in this year’s race!
A Long held Bighorn Tradition
The 100 Mile Endurance Run was first held in 2002 to mark the 10th anniversary of the annual Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Runs: 50 mile (actually 52 miles), 50 K (32.5 miles), and 30 K (17.5 miles).
A group of local trail runners started the runs in an effort to preserve and protect the Dry Fork and Little Bighorn River Canyons from a planned pump storage hydroelectric project and other developments.
In that first year, Brandon Sybrowsky finished in 21:05:32, besting second-place finisher Tom Possert by more than 3 hours. Jean Heishman won the women’s race in 30:05:08, finishing roughly 25 minutes ahead of Margarita Phillips.
The runs helped to raise awareness of the area’s natural beauty and rugged terrain. As a result, the planned pump storage hydroelectric project was put on hold and likely won’t happen. Wow! Now that’s an influential race!
Nowadays the Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Runs are mostly held as a public service by trail running aficionados living in the Sheridan community. They hope that the runs not only promote tourism in Sheridan County but also recreation.
These courses give participants maximum exposure to an exceptionally scenic, wild and primitive part of the Bighorn Mountains.
Although the Bighorn Trail 100 is a challenging course because of the rugged terrain, it is quite popular among participants. The course runs at elevations of up to 10,000 feet, giving participants breath-taking views of wildflower fields and surrounding scenery. In fact, most of the trail is on rugged mountain trails and 4-wheel drive roads.
It’s one of those things that people are so happy to be able to say they accomplished once the race is over. No wonder it continues to attract scores of runners each year!
The Competitive Categories
There are countless opportunities for you to earn some recognition for your running abilities in this year’s races. For instance, here are some of the categories that race officials recognized last year:
- 30K Overall
- 30K Age Divisions
- 30K Men’s
- 30K Women’s
- 50K Overall
- 50K Age Groups
- 50K Men’s
- 50K Women’s
- 50M Overall
- 50M Age Divisions
- 50M Men’s
- 50M Women’s
- 100M Overall
- 100M Age Divisions
- 100M Men’s
- 100M Women’s
The specific age divisions recognized in these races are:
- 19 and Under
- 20-29
- 30-39
- 40-49
- 50-59
- 60-69
- 70+
And all people who finish the 100M in under 24 hours are inducted into the “Rusty Spurs Club” and given a special award.
For more information on this course or to register, we recommend emailing the Race Director at
racedirector@bighorntrailrun.com
Just One of the Many Reasons to Love Living in Sheridan Wyoming
This race has become an iconic piece of our local culture here in the Sheridan area.
And yet, there is so much more to Sheridan than this one race. From rodeos to artist residency programs, there’s always something fun, exciting and adventurous going on around here.
If this sounds like exactly the kind of community you’ve been looking for, then please take a moment to contact us, BHJ Realty, Inc., today for all of your home buying needs.
We are your expert Sheridan real estate experts. And we would be happy to assist you by answering any questions you may have as well as providing you with even more information about what it’s like to live in this community year-round.
Have a wonderful day!
Bruce