Hiawatha Spring Trail Run (ID)
Taft, MT
- 50K, 25K, 15K, 10K
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Hiawatha Spring Trail Run takes place along the breathtaking Route of the Hiawatha, winding through the mountains of Montana and Idaho. Runners will experience scenic views of towering forests, rugged peaks, and historic train tunnels as they tackle distances of 50K, 25K, 15K, or 10K. This iconic trail offers … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jun 07):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 41 | 69 | 67 | 70 | 54 |
| L (°F) | 31 | 51 | 50 | 53 | 36 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Excellent Race All Around!
There is so much to say about this wonderful race: The entire course is on the Hiawatha Trail. It's a converted rails to trails so it's wide, crushed gravel throughout. … MORE
There is so much to say about this wonderful race:
The entire course is on the Hiawatha Trail. It’s a converted rails to trails so it’s wide, crushed gravel throughout. You don’t need trail shoes with serious lugs. You could probably get away with road shoes, and smaller/no lug trail shoes would be the sweet spot. There are no hills to speak of since it used to be designed for trains (trains don’t go over mountains, they go through them). The first 15ish miles are a gradual downhill and the second half is coming back up. I definitely noticed the uphill, but it’s more like a slow grinder. You’ll run across many trestle bridges and tunnels.
You will DEFINITELY need a head lamp. It’s required for one, but even if they weren’t required, some of the tunnels are so long and dark (one is 1.7 miles) that you can’t navigate with just a cell phone flashlight. The tunnels are super unique and make the course memorable. Plus if the weather is rough, the tunnels will serve as a reprieve.
When not in the tunnels, you’ll look at spectacular mountains covered in trees throughout. In June the waterfalls are flowing and provide relaxing white noise.
The race starts and ends in Taft MT, and most of the race is actually run in Idaho. Keep that in mind if you have a 50 states goal. One could make an argument that this could count for either one.
There is an aggressive cutoff time: 6.5 hours. That weighed on my head for the first part of the race since I have completed a lot of 50Ks slower than that. I finished 70 minutes ahead of the cutoff though and had no worries about it after the first few miles. The course has no real hills, just a steady, slight incline for the last 15 miles. The first half is so fast that I banked a ton of time and could take it easy coming back uphill. My splits were 9:30 miles going down and 11:30 going back up.
Aid station fare is standard. There are a lot of aid stations so no need to bring anything other than a water bottle. I ate bananas, clementines, fruit snacks. energy waffles, fruit bars, and a bag of chips. They had electrolyte drink and water at each aid station and food at most (all?) of the stations.
The SWAG is a cool medal and a cool t-shirt (I donate most of the shirts from races, but I’ll keep this one a while).
Note there is no cell phone service at any point of the race, including the start finish line. I have Verizon and never had cell service. Let your family know that ahead of time so they don’t worry about you!
Loved the race! Wonderful experience all around.
Organizers were all over the place
Firstly, let it be known that I dislike writing negative reviews, especially knowing how supportive and amazing the trail running community is. But I had a bad experience with the … MORE
Firstly, let it be known that I dislike writing negative reviews, especially knowing how supportive and amazing the trail running community is. But I had a bad experience with the race organizers this time around. I was told I could camp the night before in the parking lot down the hill of the start line (about 2 miles away) from a race organizer. When I set up camp in an area that absolutely does not block the flow of traffic even a little; you would barely even be able to notice me. I was told to move by another race organizer because it will “disrupt traffic flow” on race morning, so I questioned him but still politely moved. Turns out, this race organizer just wanted my spot so he himself could park his van to camp for the night. Absolutely unacceptable and untruthful. I was left parking a half mile away so I had to walk this distance in the morning and back just to grab my bib. Furthermore, some of the people working on course had no knowledge of the course itself. When I asked how far the next aid station was, they said 2 miles away when in reality, it was 5 miles away. Granted, I could’ve pulled up the map myself, but it was still a little frustrating when I try to strategize my nutrition plan. Undeniably, the course itself was beautiful and much worth it to run/ bike if ever given the chance; it’s the untruthfulness and messiness of the organizers that granted a bad review for this event. Take it as you see it.
Great Event and Worth Doing
[Please watch the video which covers the race and course.] A relatively small # of runners (under 60) get the benefit of a full event support for a much larger … MORE
[Please watch the video which covers the race and course.] A relatively small # of runners (under 60) get the benefit of a full event support for a much larger race (because they are there for the other shorter distances that come afterwards) so this results in almost 1 on 1 support at aid stations, etc. Also the tunnels and trestles are amazing and a great way to end the race.
Great Race Overall
This is a beautiful, fun and challenging course. Highly recommend! Best to bring your own water & nutrition (cup less race and only had GU's) to run right on through … MORE
This is a beautiful, fun and challenging course. Highly recommend! Best to bring your own water & nutrition (cup less race and only had GU’s) to run right on through and enjoy the views. Love that they offer a meal after the race but if you have any allergies/sensitivities do not count on the meal. The transport they have from parking to the start, and back, runs smoothly and non-stop. May be a tiny wait after the race but those bus drivers are so sweet and happy to be there. The volunteers are great and super supportive – they loved to offer to take pictures for everyone who pulled out their phones. This really is an awesome destination race with the option for car camping. Will be back again!
Cool Experience
I thought this race was pretty smooth - I did bib pick-up on race morning due to my location. They had plenty of volunteers to help with parking and bib … MORE
I thought this race was pretty smooth – I did bib pick-up on race morning due to my location. They had plenty of volunteers to help with parking and bib pick-up. I did select a start wave, but I ended up missing it. This didn’t end up mattering (perhaps if you ran the risk of not finishing in the time frame). We had to wait for the 50k runners to cross a certain point, then it was just a rolling start for the 25k. It was such a cool experience to run through the dark tunnels – you are quite spaced out from the other runners in the beginning, so the headlamp matters! The tunnels open up to stunning views of Montana. The tunnels are very damp, so there was a lot of mud and puddles, so be prepared for wet feet. The race is an out and back, so we turned around near mile 7.5-8, and headed back. This is a slight uphill, so I would train with a slight increase in elevation to prepare. Its not huge, but noticeable! I loved this race – the shirt and medal were wonderful. Transportation was easy, and overall worth the experience!
BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE
You really can't beat the beautiful scenery and unique tunnels. Loved this race!!! Aid stations were properly placed along the course with extremely enthusiastic aid station workers :). The trail … MORE
You really can’t beat the beautiful scenery and unique tunnels. Loved this race!!! Aid stations were properly placed along the course with extremely enthusiastic aid station workers :). The trail was so stunning and the adventure of running through tunnels did not disappoint. I did this race with my sister and teenage daughter. We really enjoyed it and will return next year.
Outstanding Production Great Fun
I loved this run. Cool location, really cool medal and shirt. Awesome volunteers. The scenery is tree filled mountains! Felt like going into a Disneyland ride right off the bat … MORE
I loved this run. Cool location, really cool medal and shirt. Awesome volunteers. The scenery is tree filled mountains! Felt like going into a Disneyland ride right off the bat going into the tunnels. After race was awesome, really good food. I have told many friends to do this one. Hopefully in the future this one does not conflict with the Trail Rail Run!
Fabulous and Fun
I love this new race! I have ridden the course many times but to run it was epic! It took awhile to feel comfortable in the tunnel but then it … MORE
I love this new race! I have ridden the course many times but to run it was epic! It took awhile to feel comfortable in the tunnel but then it was so fun. Wear trail shoes for the water and uneven surfaces but not tough trail running for sure. The race is well organized. Great food at the end. Don’t forget to take your phone for photos as I did. Is well worth the time for an epic shot or two. I will do this race again, but hope they can figure out the logistics of finishing downhill. The run back up is tough with the elevation. Thanks again Negative Split for another great race.
A must do before you die!!
Awesome scenery, awesome to run thru tunnels with other runners beside you and all around you lighting your path with headlamps on!! Great groomed trail! MORE
Awesome scenery, awesome to run thru tunnels with other runners beside you and all around you lighting your path with headlamps on!! Great groomed trail!
Adventure Run!
If you could make a run that felt like you were on a adventure, like Indiana Jones movie this would be it. The course was so beautiful I had to … MORE
If you could make a run that felt like you were on a adventure, like Indiana Jones movie this would be it. The course was so beautiful I had to take pictures around every corner, this was only a problem with the run, stopping all the time to snap photos. You go though tunnels and bridges and wear a head lamp it really was such a adventure and amazing views of the mountains. This is a must for any runner. The race production was great, check in was easy at the same place as the race/ even gave us lunch after. Loved the medal and the t-shirt was actually really nice. Swag A++.
Incredibly unique experience!
This race was the coolest I’ve ever run in! Amazing views throughout the course! It was really fun running through the tunnels. What a unique experience! I Can’t wait to … MORE
This race was the coolest I’ve ever run in! Amazing views throughout the course! It was really fun running through the tunnels. What a unique experience! I Can’t wait to do it again!
Run this Race!
What a fun race. It was a beautiful day I. The PNW which helped make this scenic race one for the books! Bring a sweatshirt and keep fresh batteries in … MORE
What a fun race. It was a beautiful day I. The PNW which helped make this scenic race one for the books! Bring a sweatshirt and keep fresh batteries in your head lamp because the tunnels are dark and cold. This adds to the race dynamic significantly in a good way! Watch out for pot holes in the tunnel but I highly recommend this race!