Pronghorn Pursuit Trail Run 2023

Place

Dillon Town Overlook Trailhead
10 Mile Road
Dillon, MT US 59725

Description

Beaverhead Trails Coalition (BTC) teamed up with the Beaverhead County High School (BCHS) Cross Country team in 2019 to bring the first Pronghorn Pursuit Trail Run to the Dillon Community. This is the 4th annual event where a 5K and 15K trail run located on the BTC’s High Trails just outside of Dillon takes place. In 2023 we are hoping to get our name along with other top races in the state. Plan a weekend in Dillon, MT to attend this race and enjoy our trails.

The Pronghorn Pursuit, exclusively off-pavement, meanders through the gorgeous sagebrush hills of the High Trails System, with spectacular views of the Beaverhead River Valley below. The 15k course is challenging and will put your summer fitness to the test with 90% single-track and 2400’ of climbing. The course is a great mix of steep climbs and technical descents interspersed with sections of fast, flowing single-track. The 5K course offers a similar technical mix and the same great views, but at a more manageable scale for many runners. You can still expect to be challenged by this course, with some steeper sections climbing over 500’, but can look forward to the last kilometer being all downhill and smiles.

We invite you to visit our community, because we are a fun loving and hard working people.  Dillon is located in Beaverhead County, which is home to a truly diverse group of Montanans, and totals close to three and half million acres.  With room to roam, outdoor recreation abounds.  Dillon is unique, it is a thriving small town that supports literally every type of small business from our local beloved flower shops, to bookstores, and eccentric coffee shops. We can't wait to see your smiling faces the weekend of August 5th!

Early Race Packet pick-up will be the day before the race from 3pm to 6pm. This will be located at the Patagonia Outlet store and please feel free show up early to shop!

Race Day Registration= 7:00 am         

15k starts at 8:00 am              

5k starts at 8:45 am

Register today on RunSignUp!

Noble Ave Sign Instalation

Thanks to everyone that came to help with the sign installation for our Noble Ave Trail Project on Saturday morning. A special thanks to Fred Bridger for making the sign for us! We will be having a dedication ceremony at some point this year, so keep a look out.

Pictured left to right: Ed Mooney, Fred Bridger, Dan Downey, Steve Sievert, Larry Skiles, Ali Wolpern, and Brandon Parker

BTC Announces new Executive Director

We’re excited to announce Brandon Parker as our new interim Executive Director for the Beaverhead Trails Coalition.

Brandon is a three-year resident of Dillon and has been living in Montana for 6 years. He has a M.Sc. in geology from Ball State University. His professional background is in oilfield paleontology/biostratigraphy, where he worked predominantly in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico on large scale drilling projects. He currently works intermittently as a contract paleontologist as well as part time for R.L. Winston Rod Co. in Twin Bridges. Brandon is looking forward to working with the BTC and continuing to fulfill its vision of providing easy access to walking, bicycling, and horseback riding to the Dillon community.

He has a passion for the environment and spends a large portion of his time exploring the mountains of Southwest Montana. He is married with a 5 year old daughter and a baby boy coming in April.

Partnering with the Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen

Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen helps the BTC

Wide open spaces are treasured by Montanan’s.  Living in the Big Sky State lends a strong sense of appreciation for big country and is home to a big-hearted people.  Dillon, MT is a community with a strong agricultural background and a thriving small-town economy.   Importantly, as Dillon becomes more and more diverse, we still retain much of our old western cowboy heritage.  Today a representation can be seen in a group called the Backcountry Horsemen of Montana, an organization that works to protect the cowboy way of life.

As an organization, the Backcountry Horsemen work to ensure that public land use will continue to be accessible for those wishing to travel horseback.  Originally, the Backcountry Horsemen’s Association was established to protect access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and worked as a liaison with the Forest Service in reaching their end goal.  Today, they continue to work closely with the Forest Service across Montana with over 18 chapters and 1000 members.

The Beaverhead Trails Coalition (BTC) recently had the opportunity to partner with a local chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen.  The local chapter, Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen, serves Southwestern Montana.  BTC currently owns and manages the High Trails for public use.  These trails are located just outside of Dillon off 10 Mile Rd.  As a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization we function solely on raised funds and donations.  One way to support our organization is through our Sponsor a Bench program.  These benches are then placed at strategic locations around the nearly 1,200 acres of land that make up the High Trails system.

The local Backcountry Horsemen (BC) have been instrumental in two of these bench installs.  The High Trails are accessible only by non-motorized vehicles.  Working with the BC has allowed us to haul heavy loads of water, concrete mix, tools, and bench parts up miles of trail to distant locations across tough and rugged terrain.  Thanks to their help and the generosity of bench donations, the public can sit for a while and enjoy the beauty of Beaverhead Valley.

If interested in joining the Three Rivers Backcountry Horsemen, please contact Bev McDougal at (406) 681-3131.  For more information, please visit their website at www.bchmt.org or their Facebook page @ThreeRiversBCH.  Monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm.