Montana fun runs
23 seasonal, themed and one-of-a-kind fun runs in Montana.
Holiday and seasonal: 10 · Novelty course: 5 · Iconic tradition: 2 · Food and drink: 2 · Color, glow and night: 2 · Mud and obstacle: 2
- Iconic tradition Le Grizz Ultramarathon & Relay One of the oldest 50-milers in the world, started by shotgun blast in grizzly country, with an aid station at the historic Polebridge Mercantile.
- Food and drink Montana Brewery Running Series Montana mountain-town brewery runs, from a Boos & Brews Halloween run in Lolo to an Ugly Sweater Run at Tamarack in Missoula.
- Holiday and seasonal Zombie Fun Run An after-dark 3K through a series of scare zones in a small Hi-Line town.
- Holiday and seasonal Run For Your Life Halloween 5K & Kid's Run/Walk Friendly zombies and spooky characters ambush costumed runners around MSU's Bobcat Stadium, while the zombie-free kids' run finishes through the giant Bobcat head.
- Holiday and seasonal Skeleton Skedaddle 5K & Kids Pumpkin Run A costumed Halloween loop over the Russell Street bridge and along Missoula's river trails, plus a kids' Pumpkin Run.
- Holiday and seasonal Huffing For Stuffing Thanksgiving Day Run Bozeman's biggest Thanksgiving gathering, starting at the Museum of the Rockies, has raised more than half a million dollars for the local food bank.
- Holiday and seasonal Run! Turkey Run! A downtown Billings Thanksgiving race with a costume contest, a street mile and a local-microbrew beer garden at the finish.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Run for Education A dress-up Santa 5K on Bozeman's Main Street that kicks off the town's Christmas Stroll, with cash prizes for the schools that turn out the most runners.
- Holiday and seasonal Frosty 5K A Helena holiday 5K where Santa suits and ugly sweaters are encouraged and the top finishers win wreaths.
- Color, glow and night Light the Way 5K & Kids Run A nighttime holiday 5K by headlamp past lights around Fort Missoula Park, with an ugly-sweater contest and cookies and cocoa.
- Holiday and seasonal Resolution Run 5K Missoula rings in the new year with a $5 5K followed by coffee, hot chocolate and cookies.
- Holiday and seasonal The New Year's Plunge Run a loop of Lake Elmo on New Year's Day, then plunge into the icy lake before warming up in heated tents.
- Holiday and seasonal Pub 317's Run to the Pub Half Marathon & 10K A St. Patrick's half that finishes in Bozeman's largest Main Street party, with a pint glass, bottle-opener medal and a raffle for a trip to run in Dublin.
- Mud and obstacle Montana Spartan Trifecta Weekend Spartan’s return to Montana’s Flathead Valley after a two-year hiatus, a four-race weekend (including a 50K Ultra) on a ranch near Flathead Lake.
- Novelty course Hiawatha Spring Trail Run Run through the 1.6-mile pitch-dark Taft Tunnel and across 14 high railroad trestles on the Route of the Hiawatha rail trail.
- Novelty course Yellowstone Half Marathon A half marathon and 5K from West Yellowstone, the Montana gateway town at Yellowstone National Park’s west entrance.
- Novelty course Glacier Half Marathon A half marathon along the eastern border of Glacier National Park, climbing for 5 miles and then running downhill with views of the Rockies.
- Novelty course Big Mountain Run / Danny On Hill Climb A 44-year-old uphill tradition climbing 2,200 feet up Whitefish Mountain Resort's Danny On Trail to the Summit House.
- Food and drink Donut Miss Out! 1K for United Way A 1K costume dash for free donuts during Helena's SeptemberFest; the 2026 theme was 'Gulch Goes Galactic.'
- Iconic tradition Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run Twenty miles along the exposed, scrambly crest of the Bridger Range, limited to 250 lottery runners and supported by about as many volunteers.
- Novelty course Lone Peak Vertical Kilometer (The Rut Mountain Runs) An all-uphill race from Big Sky Resort's base to the 11,166-foot summit of Lone Peak, finishing with a tram and gondola ride back down.
- Color, glow and night St. Patrick's Day Butte Color Run A substance-free color run held on March 17 itself in Butte, home of one of America's biggest St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
- Mud and obstacle ZooTown Challenge Obstacle Course Race An obstacle race inside the University of Montana's Washington-Grizzly Stadium, with a 'Double Griz' option that adds a climb of the M Trail.