The idea of racing the Crazy Mountain 100 had been on Blair’s mind for as long as the race has existed. Although it was the second 100-mile foot race in Montana (first was the Rampage the Roots in the Tobacco Root Mountains that took place from 2013-2016) this year was its fifth running. The first edition of the race happened in 2022, when 129 started and 73 finished. This year the attrition wasn’t as bad, with 69% of starters finishing. The heat was crushing. In places, the terrain is quite rugged, with some sections that look runnable but, depending on one’s condition, might not be. The race starts at over 5000’ and clips up to 10,200’ at the high point. Vertical gain across the course is almost 23,000’ with the final big climb (2500’ +/-) starting at mile 78. It is a very difficult race.
Once the idea took hold the research began; Blair helped to flag the course from mile 44 to 63, the following year she paced Peder Anderson from mile 70 to 93, and explored some other terrain she would see earlier in the race. Training and preparation for the 2026 edition went well, all of the critical pieces and personnel came together. On the start line everything felt light, she carried no weight of expectation, and wasn’t anchored to any outcome. I had never seen her in a better place before an event. I remembered ten days earlier when she said, “I think I can have a good race,” and that morning, before sunrise, it really felt like she would.
Tune in to share Blair’s journey across an incredible mountain range, in the company of kind, open-hearted competitors, and dear friends, new and old. Check out her words here and her photography here.
