BOZEMAN — On Saturday morning, the Bridger Ridger Run returned to Bozeman after a year off due to the pandemic.
“It was just magical to see all the smiling faces and the start today was indescribable to me to have the race again to provide this opportunity to all those people,” said co-race director Boz Boswell.
Over 200 people hit the trail to run the difficult 20-mile race that spans along the ridge of the Bridger Mountains. Contestants competing came from all over, including a couple of racers from South America.
"They were so excited and thankful and gracious that we were having the race and that means more to us than anything," Boswell said.
It’s already a difficult race, but this year there’s less shade to help the runners due to the fire last year.
“We have aid stations at Baldy and then halfway up Baldy," Baldwell said of the extra aid stations they implemented this year. "They’ll both have ice, additional waters, shade tent.”
Without the volunteers, the race isn’t able to happen.
“I can’t express enough gratitude to our volunteers," said Boswell. "The work they put in, the effort it took especially this year coming off of COVID last year and the safety preparations we took this year -- I can’t thank that group of people enough.”
As for next year’s race, preparation has already begun.
“Our race prep actually starts before the previous race, so we’re actually already planning next years race.”
