Big Sky Resort to Host First Ultra-Marathon

Big Sky Resort will host its first ultra-marathon, The Rut 50K and Rut 12K Mountain Race, on September 14, 2013. The world class style race is the brainchild of race directors and world-class trail runners, Mike Foote and Mike Wolfe, both of Missoula, MT and athletes for The North Face ultra-running team.

The 50 kilometer course is not for the faint of heart. With 8,200 feet of elevation gain, the route tests runners with off-trail exposed ridgelines, forested single-track trails, and rugged jeep roads leading to the iconic summit of Lone Peak at 11,166 ft. in elevation.

“This race is exciting because we wanted to find a venue which could really accommodate the event and Big Sky Resort is set up to handle thousands of people.” Wolfe explained, “The race starts and finishes right at Big Sky Resort base area, so the logistics work well for the runners.”

In conjunction with The Rut 50K, The Rut 12K Mountain Race will be held and the course showcases a network of lower and middle mountain single-track trails of Big Sky Resort. The 12 kilometer race will gain 2,100 vertical feet in elevation.

“Both of us have had the opportunity to race abroad and experience mountain running culture all over the world” said Foote, “and we wanted to bring back a lot of what we have witnessed to our home turf and inspire folks from all over to come experience running in Montana.”

Wolfe shared, “The name “The Rut” is a shout out to the prolific elk population in the Greater Yellowstone Region which is in rut the same time as our race.”

Visit  www.bigskyresort.com/events for event information and a link to registration.

About Big Sky Resort: Big Sky Resort is owned by Boyne USA Resorts, a Michigan-based corporation and the largest family run four- season resort company in North America.  Boyne USA Resorts owns and/or operates award-winning mountain and golf resorts and attractions throughout the United States and Canada including Cypress Mountain near Vancouver, British Columbia, official freestyle skiing and snowboard venue of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Big Sky Resort in Montana, Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance Golf Resort and Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark in Michigan, Brighton in Utah, Crystal Mountain and The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington, Loon Mountain in New Hampshire, Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday River Resort in Maine and Gatlinburg Sky Lift in Tennessee.