BUTTE — Two decades ago, the Butte 100 mountain bike race debuted as a grassroots event with a few dozen riders.
Flash forward to today, and it's grown into a mainstay of the Butte summer and it annually draws hundreds of mountain biking enthusiasts from across the United States and beyond.
The draw? This race has long been tabbed as one of the toughest in the country and it's not hard to see why. Riders endure roughly three miles of elevation gain over rocky and sandy terrain on a hot July day. Oh, and they do so at about a mile above sea level.
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"To have this be at the elevation it is, we have people from all over the United States that come from sea level, they have to come early so they can acclimate themselves to our elevation," said Stephanie Sorini, who bought the Butte 100 back in 2016.
The Butte 100 is set to unfold for the 20th time on Saturday with over 400 riders from 22 states and Canada gathering bright and early at Homestake Pass and embarking on a path through the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and Continental Divide Trail. Three races will take place — the Butte 100, Butte 50 and Sorini 25.
"I am so excited for this year's race, it's the 20th year," said Sorini. "How lucky for me, how lucky for my family but how lucky for Butte and the Butte 100. To be able to do this for 20 years is amazing."
The challenge that the Butte 100 offers is as imposing as ever, but the feeling of completing this race is powerful.
"The finish is the thing and it drives you forward," said Bear Stillwagon, who has completed the Butte 100 several times. "And that's another thing that makes the Butte 100 so special is you know everyone is there at the finish line waiting for you and it just drives you to the finish line. It's just the atmosphere and the camaraderie with everybody."
