The inaugural Madison Marathon in Ennis, Montana was a great event. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to return to defend my title in the half marathon event due to a conflict with another race. I sure wish I could make it this year. The course was challenging due to the high elevation, headwinds, and the steady climb on the way out. However, you reaped the rewards once you reached the turn-around and had mostly downhill and tailwinds on the way back. You probably won’t have a PR at this race due to the terrain, but you will enjoy the scenery and have a good workout. The race directors are great folks, and the race had a very “down home” vibe to it. I really enjoyed my afternoon with all the racers. I will make the effort to add this to the calendar next year. Cheers!

Aubrey Curtis, Half Marathon Champion

Great Falls, MT

The race lies entirely along a narrow, gravel or dirt Forest Service road in the Gravelly Range, southwest of Ennis, MT, amidst beauty rivaling that of the Beartooth. Runners shared the course with a few motorists and four-wheelers, all of whom were polite and respectful of runners safety. It is also possible that runners might share the road with moose, cattle, bears and other wildlife. Aid stations were provided along the route. The race begins at Clover Meadows campground, so camping is an alternative to making the long, bumpy drive on the morning of race day.

Given the race’s exposed topography, it’s probably a safe bet that the wind --which pounded runners pretty good --blows hard most of the time. Ironically, though the draw of the event is its high elevation, the wind will likely be the real challenge. In any case, this is a unique and beautiful race that’s worth the trip.

Steve Rumley, Half Marathon

Helena, MT

This race was a first rate event. The race director, Sam, was extremely hospitable and helpful and was always quick to answer questions. The volunteers and other participants were also wonderful. The race course is challenging, with its ever present hills, you feel like you are constantly either climbing up a hill or coasting down one, but the beauty and the serenity of the mountains make it all worth it. I would recommend this race to anyone! But particularly those who are looking for a true running experience, and not just a race experience. Thanks again to Sam and all the volunteers and other participants. I had a great time and look forward to seeing this race becoming more and more popular in the future (which I have no doubt that it will).

Amy Young, Marathoner 2009

Nashville, TN

This was a great event. We took the whole family and attempted to walk 1/2 of it... well, we made it to mile 6. That is how it goes with four children under the age of 7 it is a beautiful area, and I must say, we had a really good time. We are looking forward to coming back next year!!!

Mimi Anson, Half Marathon Walker

Sheridan, MT

That was truly the most beautiful views I’ve seen! Wish I would have been able to train for this but didn't find out until right before... glad I got the chance to give it a try and will be back next year for sure. Sam- you are awesome! Thanks for helping me when I was lost. Also thanks to the nice guy on the 4 wheeler and also the master griller team who made those yummy burgers.

Bev Johnston, Half Marathon

Bozeman, MT

To all of you lucky enough to be running the Madison Marathon for the second time, I wish you good luck. To all of you running it for the first time, get ready for one of the most beautiful runs you will ever take. I am sorry that I will not be able to make it this year. I was sorry to hear that the date had been changed to August. I will miss the exhilaration I felt after finishing this one. It felt like a real accomplishment. Something about the challenge of the terrain along with the beauty of the surrounding area made it a very special run for me. Anyway have a great run and enjoy.

Sus Bristow, Half Marathon

Helena, Montana

From Race Raves – Madison Marathon

First time Go Big or Go Home!

Extremely difficult for me. The hills are awesome and murder your lungs. The scenery is so beautiful it helps you forget how much you’re in pain. I loved my first half marathon. Only thing I wish I would have trained more incline and decline running.

The Hills Are Worth It

For some reason, I decided to run the highest road race in the world as my first-ever half marathon and TBH, I’m so glad I did! I’m a very new runner and despite having to wake up at 3:30am in Bozeman to catch the bus in Ennis, I had the best time and I’m looking forward to next year. It was a super chill race, with incredible views and great support volunteers at aid stations (every three miles). There are a crap ton of hills in the first few miles but they’re worth it. Thanks for a great first race!

I could not stop saying WOW!

What an incredible experience with absolutely gorgeous scenery. I thought I was prepared by doing lots of training runs at 5-6000 ft but adding another few thousand feet of elevation makes a big difference. It is a difficult course but oh so worth it. Come prepared with lots of water and food but I thought the water stops on course were good. The bus ride to the start is an adventure in itself but it all adds to making a very memorable event. Plan to come and enjoy the jaw dropping scenery, get a PW (personal worst), and save some energy for the hills at the end. The RD is very friendly as well as everyone in the town of Ennis. It is a smaller race but I never felt alone on the course and all of the other runners were encouraging of one another.

Holy Shit!

Even though this was my first marathon, I’d like to preface this review saying that I have lots of experience running and competing at a high level at the collegiate level. With that being said, this race has without a doubt been the hardest thing I’ve ever physically done. The first half is fine, sure there are some steep uphills, but it feels like a net downhill. The second half ate me alive. I swear I should have brought climbing gear to get up some of those uphills. They were killing my will to live. I walked up some hills— I NEVER walk, but I physically couldn’t go any faster. As someone who never hydrates during a run, I stopped at every water station. I would recommend drinking 3 or 4 glasses of water at each one, even if you don’t think you need it. The water stops are pretty spaced out; they feel especially spaced out the second half! All in all, it definitely lived up to the billing and I’m glad that this race was my first marathon! Heck of a job by the race organizer, Sam. Thanks and good luck with this race in the future.

Miserable is Memorable!

When I first heard of this race, I had never run a marathon before. The opportunity to run on an open road surrounded by some of the best scenery in the U.S. and in Montana of all places was enough to make me pursue this dream. It took two years to get there, but there I was right next to Black Butte on the morning of July 22, 2017 ready to get this epic run under way. And what a run it was!

While it was easily the toughest race I’ve ever undertook, it went by very quick. The scenery pulls you forward and you just keep wondering what’s over the next hill. Mile 23 was possibly the hardest mile I’ve ever faced in my life. I cursed it at the time, but hours later I found myself contemplating coming back next year. If you get motion sickness like me, the bus ride was the worst part about this race.

Highly recommend this race. The race staff is so friendly and down to earth. I know for sure I’ll be back. Next time, running two marathons.

Hell on Earth but worth it!

This race is definitely unique and a must do. The course is very difficult. The constant uphill climb, heat, and elevation will knock you out. You feel that much more accomplished at the end for sticking through. I will continue to do this race. Race director and team are awesome and friendly. They make an effort to get to know the runners. I also prefer smaller races where you can get to know other runners. It’s nice to see everyone on the course.

Fantastic venue!!!! Highly recommended!

Suggest take your own hydration system and plan to refill on the course. Altitude was not an issue for myself despite living and doing most of my training at sea level. However I did spend three weeks at an evelation of around 5000 feet before the race. Very friendly atmosphere which I really liked. Race was well organised.

Lives Up to its Hype

The headline for this race; These Ain’t no Pansy Big City Races lives up to its billing. The aid stations are sparce, but the skyline isn’t. The view was just breathtaking as the altitude. Don’t worry about the race clock, instead enjoy where you are. I have ran many races where your pace and the clock are the focus of the race, but this was different. I took time to just soak everything in.

Kick Ass

Just like it’s advertised this ain’t no Pansy Ass City Race,! This race reaches high altitudes with big hills, it is not a race you just comes and run! The views are amazing, it is worth every hard hour!

Difficult and Rewarding

Montana is great and the people who live there love it. This was my first off road marathon – I trained at high elevation and worked on long hills, but the long rolling hills in the last half brought we to a walk. Sam is a great race director with lots of energy and passion. I gave it a 5 for swag since I got a reserve bottle of bourbon from Willies Distillery for coming in first.

Tough

Unbelievable course. Scenery is unreal. Coming from sea level the day before, the elevation was tough. I could breathe fine, no headache or nausea, but man my legs wouldn’t go! There are some long grueling up hills that are near to impossible to run. Starting at mile 1! Eased up by mile 5. Maybe 100yds of flat running in 26.2 miles. Footing is great, aid stations were every 3ish miles. Not a lot of calories though. Water and sometimes Gatorade. I ran with a camelback and was glad I did. PW for sure. Ironman marathon time + almost an hour.

Most stunning run on earth

My previous marathons have all been Asian city based. Whilst I have run some mountain trails in Dalat and Sapa Vietnam, none compare. This marathon is simply breath taking, every corner you turn offers a new stunning panorama. With under 200 participants it is a very personal and fun experience. I ran the first half with my 14 year old daughter and as she approached mile 20, I reminded her of how lucky we were to be here, to be healthy and to be able to run in such a incredible environment. In previous marathons the last few miles are a mental challenge, here the experience is far more serene as the mental duress is extinguished by the splendor if the mountain scenery.

A must-do race! A new tradition!

Difficult in a good way but so beautiful and not crowded! You can just take in all the scenes. The elevation is so high that it stays very cool even though it is summer. I only struggled with the elevation going uphill, so I just walked up the hills. You do need to be self-reliant in water and food, which is tough sometimes. But wear sunscreen! Sun is brutal! I got burned doing the race pretty badly. The shirts were disappointing. Most shirts are now made with running material but these are cotton. I won’t wear them. I will just use them for a quilt. The medals are very nice, though. I will do this race every year for sure since I live in Montana. It’s a refreshing break from running in the city.

Tough road races at 9,000+ feet

This race bills itself as the highest road marathon in the country. The road itself is crushed gravel, so it’s a far cry from asphalt or concrete, but the organization has the hallmarks of a barebones trail race. The logistics are challenging and will require lots of time. Buses pick up from Ennis, Montana and drive about an hour to the finish line, then drive another 45 minutes to the start. The half is a point-to-point and is always either climbing or descending. But the views you get in the process, including some excellent panoramas of the imposing Black Butte, are worth the thin air. Generic medals and not much of a post-race spread though.

From Race Raves – Big Sky Marathon

Small race but challenging as hell!

Communication could have been better but this is an extremely small race – there were only 18 of us for the half. Many more were registered for the full but still, this is small. The race is all downhill on a gravel path except for a small stretch of pavement, maybe a mile long. It’s steep, which I was not prepared for – challenging to control my speed and watch my feet. The altitude also contributed to the challenge but honestly I can say I enjoyed it – it was beautiful. As they like to say, this definitely ain’t no pansy ass city race.

Beautiful, but challenging course.

This race is very low-key. There is no fancy start line & nothing at the finish, not even a banner. No manned aid stations and no bathrooms on the course. There was a water jug in the grass every 3 miles. Towards the end of the race, they ran out of water. However, several people drove by offering water to the runners still on the course. Very rocky gravel dirt road. Downhills were steep and way more up hills than I expected. It was much tougher than I expected.

Once in a lifetime views

This race was so unique. The people were from all over the country/world and were really friendly. The altitude was challenging, but as it was mostly downhill it was not a problem. There were about three uphills that were tough. This was my first downhill race so I was worried about my knees, but it was no problem.

The year I raced the weather was perfection- clear blue skies, no humidity and cool breezes. The scenery cannot be beat. Just as they say, this is not a typical city race, so don’t expect loads of volunteers and spectators. Everything ran smoothly, but you will enjoy it more if you aren’t really uptight about the process and details.

This is a bucket list kind of race. You probably won’t have a PR, but if you are someone who runs because they enjoy being outside in nature this is the race for you!

Gorgeous views

This race really met all of the things I look for in a destination run. A small field, easy to get to (an hour’s drive from an airport) and beautiful scenery. Let’s be clear, it’s not a city run. There is an additional hour of travel in an old school bus on a bumpy road to get to the start line. But the mountain views make all of that worthwhile. It’s a bit of a tough start for those of us who don’t live at elevation but the race just flew by because of the scenery. I worried I might be hallucinating when a cowboy rode up on a horse to check his cattle, but others saw it too. Perhaps an extra portapotty at the start line? Perhaps more staff at each water station to minimize the cars leap frogging past runners on the narrow dirt road. But these are minor issues. The race director Sam really knows what he is doing and is a really decent guy with his promotion of public land in Montana. High elevation start of 8500ft with approx a third of that lost in miles 7 to 11. Well worth the effort and travel if you’re sick of the usual scenery back home.

Amazing views and people. It's a must!

Today was one of the hardest races. I ran the Big Sky Marathon in MT. A school bus took us up a mountain, 9,000 ft, the weather was sunny and cold. I met a legend named Larry Marcus , who is In the Guinness book of world records for Running close to 2,000 marathons. You read it correctly. He is in the red . On the other side is another legend who ran 200 marathons, and one time ran 9 in a row. For the race, There was no timing chip, and the start line was a dirt line. A beautiful song, God Bless America, was sung by one of the runners, who’s an immigrant from Vietnam. Initially, there was a steep hill, and winding rocky, dirt roads through the mountains and forests. 3 miles were an extreme downhill of about 5,000 feet. Adam Moss ran the half in back of me, and helped save a woman runners who fell head first down the hill and had a concussion. He had a first aid kit and helped her until the ambulance arrived. The animals on the course were deer, black cows and a falcon in its nest. An actual cowboy rode his horse on he hill where the cows were. No bear sittings, but I was nervous about running by a bird of prey and the wild cows, who were making crazy noises (possibly mating). The last seven miles were on an open highway in the direct sunlight. It took everything in me to finish the race. It ended on a lawn , and a teenage helper used a stop watch for the time. I’m thankful I finished , and had this amazing experience. Thank you to my running friends in my club: Northwest Broward Road Runners Club for all the training runs and to my husband who had to hear my alarm clock go off at 4:30am. Thank you to Runners Depot for the supplies and to ASICS. It’s hard to show the amazing landscape of Ennis Montana in photos, but here are a few.

10/10 would recommend/do again

The downhill HURTS, never did I think I would be wishing for uphills during a run but I sure was during this race. The race is absolutely stunning, the people are amazing, and if you ever get the chance to do this race I would 150% recommend it

Down, down to Goblin Town

The race isn’t what I would call easy. There are some rolling hills and a large hill before you leave the mountain. The downhill will make your legs sore the next day. Once you are on the road, it is all good. It is set up where you can’t really quit. You pretty much have to run back to town! The director and crew are great. I appreciate the early start option. The people in town were supportive, so it was nice to hear the yells of support from passing cars. I will back to do this race again.

A great way to experience Montana

Easy pre-race process; it was nice to watch the sun rise over Montana as we were bussed up the mountain. For out-of-towners like me, the small uphills were definitely tough, but they were a good way to work other muscles after flying down the hills. I can appreciate helping myself to the water stations in the wilderness, but some people didn’t shut off the spout, so I hope there was water leftover! I loved that I was alone for large stretches of the race, which made it feel like a relaxing training run, but I was also glad I didn’t have to worry about bears eating me. Even though I was not acclimated to Montana altitudes yet, I did fairly well, and I enjoyed the variations in scenery that I was so looking forward to. One thing I wish happened: a cold beer for every finisher. I didn’t stick around for the full marathon finish party, so I can’t comment on that, but things dispersed rather quickly for the half finishers. Thoroughly happy to have participated in this and a great way to get to know Montana for the first time as a Jersey girl!

I will redo this race!

Unfortunately, I did not finish this race because I did the Madison Marathon the day before and got badly sunburned. At mile 16 of the Big Sky Marathon, my sunburn was just hurting, and when I sat down in the shade, I started shivering, so I had heat exhaustion. Sunscreen and cover are a must! There is no shade during this race. I will retry next year with better sun protection. The race was rather easy since it was downhill and then on roads. Also, the local people are very supportive. I loved running by all the cows! At least by the time I quit, I was off the mountain, so I had seen the best of the race. Ennis is also a really cool little town full of mom and pop restaurants and businesses. It’s nice to get away from commericialized places.