Athlete Guide
Packet Pick-up:
Pre-race packet pick-up will be offered for participants on Thursday, June 06, 2025. Location TBD
Packet pick-up (Race Day) will be available at the Taft Parking lot (exit 5 off I-90 on the Montana side of Lookout Pass). If you are typing the location into google maps please use "Taft, Montana" for the most accurate directions. Packet pick-up will start at 5:15am PST on race morning. You will have plenty of time to park, get your packet, and board a shuttle bus to head to the start line. The shuttle bus is only a 5 minute ride to the start. Shuttle buses will begin at about 5:15am on race morning or whenever the first bus fills up. Priority will be given to 50K runners on the first couple buses.
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Start Times:
Remember Start times are in PACIFIC TIME since most of the trail is in Idaho. All 50K runners will start at 6am. All 25K, 15K, and 10K runners will start between 6:30am - 9am. Runners will select their start wave based on availability. Early start wave priority will be given to longer distance runners with all distances starting by 9am. Runners will be able to self select their start time in closer to race day. Start wave selection will be based on estimated finish times with the runners needing the most time to finish starting earliest. We ask that you arrive at the shuttle bus at least 15 minutes before your start. The shuttle bus will be doing trips all morning between the Taft parking lot at exit 5 off I-90 and the start line. This is only about a 5 minute bus ride (2 miles).
Start time selection help, click here
**Start times subject to change as we get closer to the event.
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Parking
Runners need to park at the Taft Parking lot off exit 5 on I-90 and take the shuttle to the start. If you are typing the location into google maps please use "Taft, Montana" for the most accurate directions. No runner parking spots at East Portal - all runners will need to ride the shuttle from Taft. Runner check-in will also be located at Taft parking lot. There will be gear check available near the start line.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE:
MDT (Montana Department of Transportation) is doing work on I-90 and the East Bound Exit 5 at Taft is CLOSED. There is a detour in place that has East Bound drivers going past Exit 5 - down to Exit 10 Saltise, then go under the interstate and get back on I-90 going West Bound to get off at Exit 5 Taft, MT from the West Bound side.
Runners driving East on I-90 (From Spokane, CDA, etc) to get to the race please plan for it to take you an extra 15 minutes to get there due to the construction and detour.
Runners traveling West on I-90 (from Missoula, Helena, Saltese, MT) should not have any detour issues and can get off I-90 at Taft - Exit 5.
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Cutoff Times 50K and 25K:
25K Runners: 25K runners are required to finish in 4hours and 45minutes (before 12:30pm). This assumes a 25k runner averages roughly an 18min and 30sec per mile pace. There are not actual time checkpoints on course for the 25K, but instead race officials will monitor athletes to make sure they are meeting the time requirements. Race officials will educate athletes if they start to fall behind and give athletes 2 warnings before making a decision to pull an athlete from the course or turning the athlete around at the 15K turnaround point.
50K Runners: We are sorry, but the 50K is not for walkers and has strict time cutoffs. 50K runners will need to be able to complete the race in 6.5 hours with a 12:45 min/mile average pace. There will be two strict checkpoints along the course to ensure finishing in a timely matter. The first time cutoff is at mile 10.25 at the 25K turnaround. Athletes will need to be past this checkpoint by 8:15am (averaging 12:45min/mile or faster). If an athlete arrives at this point after 8:15am, they will be turned around by a race official and moved into the 25K race distance category. The final time checkpoint is at the Pearson turnaround at mile 17 on the 50K course. All athletes must reach the Pearson turnaround before 9:40am (averaging 12:45min/mile). Athletes reaching the Pearson checkpoint after 9:40am will be placed on a shuttle bus and transported back to the Roland side of the Taft Tunnel where they will need to walk or run back through the Taft, Tunnel to the finish area at East Portal. These athletes will be given a DNF. Click here for course maps and additional cutoff information.
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Gear Check:
Gear check will be available for ALL runners at the start line at East Portal after you get off the shuttle bus. In an effort to reduce waste, we ask runners to please bring your own bag to put your belongings in. We will provide a tyvek hospital type wrist band to label your bag with your bib number. You will need your bib number showing when you drop off and pick-up your bag. Gear check is only available for athletes wearing bib numbers.
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Gear Drop 1:
Gear drop is available for ALL runners after the first tunnel. 25K, 15K, and 10K runners is at Aid Station One at Roland Trailhead at Mile 2. 50K runners is located at Mile 4. We are NOT transporting gear after the event, all leftover gear at the gear drop will be donated. You are responsible for picking up your own gear dropped at the gear drop aid station.
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Special Needs Bag - 50K ONLY:
50k Runners will be allowed to drop one shoe box size bag or smaller at Taft check-in area PRIOR to boarding the shuttle bus. This bag will be transported by race officials to the Pearson aid station (Mile 16) for 50K runners ONLY. Runners will need to supply their own bag and label it with their bib number if they are planning to use this service. Please do not place anything of value in this bag. Many runners use this bag for simple comforts they may want at Mile 16 of the race (special sports drink, anti-chaffing gel, extra socks, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, etc.). THESE BAGS WILL NOT BE RETURNED!
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Headlamps:
Every runner will need to run with a headlamp - a cell phone or flash light is not adequate enough to run through the tunnel. We will be monitoring the start line & you are unable to cross the start line without a headlamp.
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Aid Stations / Nutrition:
THIS IS A CUP FREE EVENT DUE TO THE FOREST LOCATION OF IT. RUNNERS MUST BRING THEIR OWN BOTTLE, OR REUSABLE RUNNING CUP TO FILL AT OUR AID STATIONS. Aid Stations will be equipped water and electrolyte fill stations, GU gels, and gummy bear chews. 50K and 25K runners will have additional sweet and salty options near Adair (50K & 25K) and Pearson (50K turnaround). There is absolutely no littering on course. Please throw it away in garbage receptacles or pack out trash. Aid stations will also have a limited supply of emergency items (headlamp batteries, first aid, cups, vaseline, etc.). As we make this shift toward cup free racing, we realize this is a more challenging shift for some runners. We will have a limited amount of cups available to aid stations only as an emergency back-up.
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Course Support:
There is ZERO CELL PHONE SERVICE during the event - we will have bike patrol throughout the course and volunteers at aid stations with communication systems & first aid supplies if needed. Turnaround volunteers will also be equipped with communication systems.
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Awards:
Due to the staggered starts and lack of service on the mountain, awards will only be given to 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall in each distance, male/female. No age group awards will be given. For overall, awards will be announced after 12:30pm once everyone has finished or awards will be mailed.
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Virtual:
The Virtual Run sign up is available between November 15, 2024 - June 08, 2025. Virtual runners complete and submit their information anytime between June 2 - June 9, 2025 to the virtual results page located here.
