Montana Meltdown

Montana Meltdown takes place in Bozeman, Montana, on September 26, 2026. Organized by Free Outside, it is a set of trail timed events: a 24-hour and a 12-hour both starting at 10:00 a.m., and a 4-hour starting at noon. Instead of a fixed distance, you run as many laps as you can within your chosen window, and your total mileage is your result.

Timed events like these give you a lot of flexibility. The 4-hour works for newer trail runners or anyone who wants a long, self-paced effort without a mandatory distance, while the 12-hour and 24-hour suit ultrarunners chasing a distance goal or a first overnight run. The 10:00 a.m. start on the longer formats means the 24-hour crosses through the night and into the next morning. Train with easy time on your feet, practice fueling on a loop where aid is always close, and prepare warm layers for the Montana night. Setting a per-lap pace you can hold all day matters more than any single fast lap.