Bridger Ridge Run

AFTER reading all of this information, you can register here:

• Registration / Lottery Application

 

Lottery Application process

Many more people would like to participate in this event than we can responsibly support (eg, our Forrest Service permit allows 250).  Meanwhile, the event is viable only through volunteer effort and a vibrant regional community.  So we implement the following registration process which blends random selection and priority selection, with the intention of equitably rewarding and incentivizing volunteer work and service to our regional community while giving anybody a healthy chance of participating in this unique event.

Applications to the lottery are only accepted for the TWO weeks:

• May 5, 2024 at 12:01am through May 19, 2024 at 11:59pm. 
  • • Late applications will not be accepted.  

Anybody hoping to participate in the event must submit a lottery application through the above link within the above time period.  This includes Previous Overall Winners, 10+ Time Finishers, Raffle Winners, etc.  

• All participants must be at least 18 years old by the event day.

The application asks a series of prompts, including credit card information.

• standard basic personal and emergency contact information,
• estimated finish time (used for wave assignments),
• an opportunity to provide a short response to a simple prompt (see below for more context),
• an opportunity to donate,
• credit card information,
• a question about Teams (see below),
• a carefully reading and agreeing to a waiver.

(It is important these responses are correct -- an application will be discarded if it contains incorrect information.)

Registration.  After submitting an application, if a participant's application is selected, no further action is necessary to register -- they are automatically registered.  Everybody who submits an application will be notified of their registration status by the close of May.  

• Applicants who are not selected will be emailed a link to volunteer, which can fulfill much of the spirit of the event while increasing priority in the following year's application process.
  • Note: if you submitted an application yet did not receive an email by the close of May, check your Junk Mail.  Contact us if that does not turn anything up.

Payment will automatically following one of the following three scenarios, using the credit card entered through the application process:

1. If your lottery application IS selected and you are NOT in a special fee category (eg, Previous Winner, 10+ Timer, Raffle Winner), your credit card will be charged the $90.00 registration fee plus a RunSignUp fee of about $7.00 and you will be registered for this year's run.
2. If your lottery application IS selected AND in a special fee category you will not be charged, and you will be registered for this year's run.
3. If your lottery application is NOT selected, you will not be charged, and will be offered an opportunity to volunteer (which will increase your chances in the lottery process next year). 

 

Selection priorities

Automatic entry is granted to members of the following groups:

• Previous overall (female & male) winners of the Bridger Ridge Run.
• 10 or more time finishers of the Bridger Ridge Run
• Various raffle winners of non-profit organization such as Reach, Eagle Mount, HAVEN, Cancer Support Community, the Museum of the Rockies, Gallatin Valley Land Trust, and HER.
• "Roll Over" applicants.  These are people who were selected a previous season and, due to extraordinary circumstances, could not run that season.  All "Roll Over" applicants have been explicitly vouched by the Bridger Ridge Run administration.  

Priority entry is given to the members of the following groups:

• Volunteers.  This race is put on by volunteers.  Aid Station workers, sweepers, medics, and the Race Director are all volunteers.  Water and supplies at Aid Stations are carried by volunteers. To greatly increase your chances of getting into the run, come out and volunteer, work an aid station, help us haul water, or sweep. Volunteers ALWAYS have highest priority because we support those that give their time to help us put on this community event.
• Not-Selected Applicants from the Previous Year. If you applied for entry the previous year and were not selected, you will have HIGH priority of being selected the following year.  All not-selected lottery applicants from last year are verified by the selection committee. If you indicate that you are a previous not-selected applicant and the selection committee finds that you are not, your application will be withdrawn from the lottery.
• Health care workers, teachers, and members of the military.

All other participants will be selected through a blind randomization process.

• We ensure that the ratio selected in a given gender category matches the ratio of those who applied in that gender category.

 

Short response

A prompt in the registration application asks for your 250 word response, if any, to the question "Why do you want to participate in the Bridger Ridge Run this year?". This prompt is accompanied by some guidance and suggestions.  Importantly, an applicant's response to this prompt will never hurt their chances of being selected to participate in the event, even if no response is provided at all (ie, it's left blank).  The function of this prompt is to lift applicants who have compelling/extraordinary circumstances, or who have substantively contributed to the event or community in the recent past, or who applied the previous season but were not selected.

 

NEW OPTION! Non-Binary gender category

A prompt in the registration process asks for an applicant to identify their gender category as Men, Women, Non-Binary, or Prefer Not To Say.  The Run Sign Up database will record finishing times by the gender category selected here.  Responses to this prompt have no effect on likelihood of being selected in the lottery process.  

In the Awards Ceremony at the Finish Area, awards will be given for top finishers in the Men's race, in the Women's race, and in the Non-Binary race.  By default, a participant is eligible for a top finisher award if they register in the Men, Women, or Non-Binary gender categories.  If, for any reason, a participant does not want to be eligible for an award, notify us by July 31.  

 

NEW OPTION! Team Lottery entry

If you intend to participate in this event only if certain of your friends/family also do, this option might be for you.  Here’s how it works.

1. Identify a Team name, and identify your team-mates.  
   Be sure there’s agreement among your team about who, exactly, your team-mates consist of.
2. Each team-mate enters the lottery independently.  In doing so, each team-mate selects the “Team” button that is plainly visible through application process, followed by naming their Team’s name and entering a complete list of the full names of their other team-mates.  

Important notes: 

• If there are inconsistencies in the names your Team lists as team-mates, then every member of the Team will automatically be considered in the standard (not “Team”) Lottery pool.
• Entering the Lottery as a Team will not effect your chances of being selected to participate in the event (with the exception of the following point).
• If you are a 10+ Timer, a Previous Overall Winner, a Raffle Winner, or a "Roll Over", entering the Lottery as a Team will forfeit your automatic entry and your entry will be considered in Team Lottery pool; you will not, however, be charged and entry fee (of $97).

 

Reach Raffle entry

From April 1 -- June 5 you can purchase Reach raffle tickets for $10 each.  The winning ticket will be pulled on Friday, June 5th at 5pm!
See Reach’s website for full information, including how to purchase tickets.