Montana to Host World-Class Athletes at Endurance Event

The 2014 National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year, Kilian Jornet, and other big name elite runners will transcend on Big Sky Resort, the host for the second annual Rut 50 and 12 kilometer races to be held September 13, 2014 and The Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer® race added for September 12, 2014. The Rut, organized by Runner’s Edge, has been chosen as the Skyrunner World Series Ultra® marathon final event for 2014, which Jornet is the reigning Skyrunner World Series Champion.

Salomon, the event’s title sponsor, has entered some of their elite Team Salomon runners in the 50K with Cameron Clayton, Gary Robbins, Adam Campbell, Anna Frost, Cassie Scallon, and Emelie Forsberg, who is the reigning Skyrunner Queen. Representing Team Nike will be David Laney, Ryan Gelfi, and Daniel Kraft, who has the second fastest time ever on the Bridger Ridge Run held in Bozeman, Montana.

Other notable runners competing in the 50K are Sage Canaday with Team Hoka One One, Jodee Adams-Moore with Team Scott, and Ellie Howe with Team Montrail/ Mountain Hardware, the 2012 Female Ultra Runner of the Year. The winner of last year’s Rut 50K race, Paul Hamilton, will be back to defend his title.

The Rut 50K, a 10,000 foot gain in elevation, tests runners with off-trail exposed ridgelines, forested single-track trails, rugged jeep roads and the lofty summit of an iconic Lone Peak. The Rut 12K will gain 2,100 vertical feet and new this year, The Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer®, a 2.4 miles race with a vertical gain of 3,280 feet up Lone Peak.

Last year The Rut sold out in both the 50K and 12K races with a cap of 200 people in each category. This year, due to the popularity of the race, the 50K is capped at 500 entries, currently 90 percent full, the 12K is also capped at 500, currently about 40 percent full, and the Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer is capped at 100 entries, currently 70 percent full. Registration is still available online at runtherut.com.

The Rut, a world class style race, is the brainchild of race directors and world-class trail runners, Mike Foote and Mike Wolfe, both of Missoula, Montana and athletes for The North Face ultra-running team who have partnered up with Sky Runner World Series®.

Visit www.bigskyresort.com for more information.

About Big Sky Resort: Big Sky Resort is owned by Boyne Resorts, a Michigan-based corporation and the largest family-run four-season resort company in North America. Boyne 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 and Sunday River Resort in Maine and Gatlinburg Sky Lift in Tennessee.