Hello.

Thanks for your interest in the Yellowstone Trail Races. This is a unique opportunity to run in Yellowstone Country. This race gets you as close to the real Yellowstone as any other race out there! There are two weekends of events this summer. The first is Saturday, July 11, and the second is Saturday, August 1st. Both events start at 9 am at the Rendezvous ski trails in West Yellowstone, Montana. There is plenty of free parking across the street at the city building. You do not need to worry about showing up before 8 am. There are flush toilets at the start/finish area. The start/finish area is basically in the town of West Yellowstone, so there are plenty of stores/gas stations for last-minute supplies. 

The races start on a closed double track, then turn off on Whiskey Springs Road, an open but not busy Forest Service Road. After the first mile, you will feel like you are back on the trail. This section is around 3.2 miles with only 50 feet of elevation gain. This section can be hot on the second loop if you are running the marathon. 

After Whiskey Springs, the 10K will take a hard left to rejoin the rolling shaded hills of the ski trail system. The 1/2M loop continues on the road for a while longer before looping back into the trail system. While the routes do have considerable elevation gain/loss, there is never a long sustained climb or descent. The trails are more rolling in nature and have a solid footbed comprised of packed-down dirt and pine needles. I run a standard road marathon in about 4:15 and a ½ Marathon in around 2 hours. I can maintain this pace on these trails. 

There is water at mile 3 and a full aid station at mile 8.3 for the ½ Marathon loop. We recommend wearing a hydration vest and filling it when possible. Also, carry some salty snacks and eat some chips at the aid station. 

This is Yellowstone country. We commonly see elk, bison, coyotes, porcupines, and moose. We occasionally see bears on the ski trails, and a Great Grey Owl often soars overhead. Bear spray is highly recommended. You can rent bear spray in the town of West Yellowstone.

We recommend, and will be attending ourselves, Wildwest Pizza for a fun post-race celebration. Good food, varied menu, live music, and cold beer! 

Please email (info@wpackevent.com) or text (406-396-5880) with any questions. Don't miss the GPX files page or the FAQs page on this site for more information. 

Chris