The Bear 100 is (usually) a cool, autumn point to point race through the pines, golden aspen and red maples of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest of Utah, the Bear River Range of Idaho and finishing at Bear Lake. Capped at 350 runners. The Bear 100 joins the ranks of some …
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The Bear 100 is (usually) a cool, autumn point to point race through the pines, golden aspen and red maples of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest of Utah, the Bear River Range of Idaho and finishing at Bear Lake. Capped at 350 runners.
The Bear 100 joins the ranks of some of the toughest, as well as most scenic, trail races in the world. Although its elevation isn’t quite as high as some of the other 100 milers, ranging from around 5,000 feet to 9,200 feet, the challenges associated with it will test the strength and endurance of any well-trained runner.
A famous Grizzly Bear named Old Ephraim once roamed the Wasatch-Cache and Caribou National Forests, and I’m sure he set foot in some of the same country that the runners will be traversing. The winners of the race will receive a beautifully carved plaque depicting Old Ephraim, and will be crowned “King and Queen of the Bear”.
The Bear 100 is a point-to-point course that starts in Logan, UT and finishes at Fish Haven, ID at Bear Lake. The first climb is the longest, with many more long climbs to follow with varying difficulties of descent. Some descents are smooth downhill while others are rocky. Late September was picked for the time of the run because of the beauty of the fall colors at that time. You will see brilliant red maples and quaking aspens turning yellow which provides for a stunning contrast among the rocks and cliffs. Seventy percent of the course is on trails, 29% is dirt road, and only 1% on pavement.
The Bear 100 is a Hardrock and Western States 100 qualifier and is an UTMB index race.
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No Bears, Only Cows
This race was definitely a challenging one with a lot of elevation gain and some technical sections. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a tough 100 mile race … MORE
This race was definitely a challenging one with a lot of elevation gain and some technical sections. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a tough 100 mile race that’s a Hardrock qualifier.
The race directors did an awesome job and and the scenery was amazing. Fall was in full force and there were red and gold leaves
everywhere. Swag was a short sleeved tech shirt, socks and an optional reusable cup. Finishers got a buckle based on what their time was and a very cool wood cutting saying a tree had been donated in their honor.
We had very ideal weather which is rare and the views are amazing. It was very cool running from Utah to Idaho and just being in the remote wilderness.
The race starts in a neighborhood and you start climbing almost immediately and continue to climb until almost mile 10, when you get to the first aid station. The aid stations had a lot of great food options, especially later in the race. Lots of hot options including a wood fired oven pizza table at mile 51 and breakfast foods in the morning.
Other than the first long climb at the beginning, a decent until after 61 and a soul crushing hill after the last aid station around mile 93, the course didn’t have anything too crazy. There were some technical spots and I would definitely recommend poles, but plenty of people went without them. The total elevation gain was almost 21k and the last 7 or so miles are downhill.
There were a lot of signs about wildlife, but I only saw a couple of deer and a bunch of cows on the course. There are beaver dams and we heard some elk bugling, but didn’t see either of those.
Not the hardest 100 and not the easiest, but definitely one I would go back to!