The Trail Rail Run is a scenic ultra trail race held annually in western Montana, offering a 50-mile course that traverses historic railroad grades from Mullan, Idaho, to St. Regis, Montana. Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, the route features gentle grades, two historic train trestles, and a …
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The Trail Rail Run is a scenic ultra trail race held annually in western Montana, offering a 50-mile course that traverses historic railroad grades from Mullan, Idaho, to St. Regis, Montana. Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, the route features gentle grades, two historic train trestles, and a picturesque tunnel, making it accessible for both seasoned ultrarunners and those new to the distance.
The event also includes shorter distances: 50K, 30K, 12K, and 5K, as well as a 50-mile relay and hand cyclist categories. The race concludes at St. Regis Community Park with a festive atmosphere, including music, food, and beverages.
The Trail Rail Run reaches its highest point at Lookout Pass—4,700 feet above sea level—crossed only by 50-mile participants. Starting at 3,278 feet in Mullan, ID, 50-milers face an 8-mile climb to the pass before descending gradually. The course finishes in St. Regis, MT at its lowest point: 2,635 feet.
The event is organized by the St. Regis Community Center and the Superior Ranger District and sanctioned by USA Track & Field.
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One of the very best races I've run!
Super well-organized small town race in a beautiful setting with great volunteers! Pre-race: St. Regis is a one-intersection town with wonderful people (just 2 hrs from Glacier National Park). Packet … MORE
Super well-organized small town race in a beautiful setting with great volunteers!
Pre-race: St. Regis is a one-intersection town with wonderful people (just 2 hrs from Glacier National Park). Packet pick-up was super smooth. There’s 1 hotel (Super 8) within walking distance of everything (packet pick-up/bus/finish). I’d recommend staying there. The bus to the start left promptly at 6AM and arrived at the start line at 6:50AM for a 7AM start. A quick bathroom trip and we were off and running.
The race: The course is almost entirely on national forest roads…dirt/gravel…easy running. It’s not single track/mountain running. First 8 miles are a gradual uphill, but it’s almost all downhill from there. An absolutely wonderful course for a first 50 miler! 10 Aid stations along the course were as advertised: stocked with great volunteers, HEED, water, and various other “goodies”.
Post-race: All 50 mile-finishers get a Patagonia Houdini jacket, embroidered with the race logo! This is now my all-time favorite swag! You also get a rail-road spike with an engraved plate attached as the finisher award. There’s also a great selection of local craft beers and delicious BBQ pork, beans, etc. for a post-race meal (if your stomach is up for it). To top it off, you get a coupon for a free Huckleberry milkshake at the local travel center. I had mine the next morning for breakfast…delicious!
This is easily one of my all-time favorite races! It’s small (34 finishers in the 50 miler) and there are lots of solitary miles out there. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is your race! The attention to detail by the committed group of volunteers/race director is unmatched.
Good 30k for a first-timer
This was my first 30k and I chose this race because it would be an easy entry into the 30k distance. It was along a gravel road and was almost … MORE
This was my first 30k and I chose this race because it would be an easy entry into the 30k distance. It was along a gravel road and was almost completely a gentle downhill grade. The host town was St. Regis and the highlight of this town was the Travel Center at the gas station. I don’t like touristy stuff but the Travel Center was pretty cool. And get a mulberry shake!
The course was okay. Although it was down, and it was a pleasant course to run with regards to scenery, it felt more technical than a gravel road should feel. It was a shuttle ride to the top of the course and that was easy enough. And there were plenty of aid stations, and I believe there were toilets at all, or almost all, aid stations. The post-race food was great and the best post-race food I’ve had in a while. But… please start offering food that vegetarians can eat. After all, part of our race fee is going toward the post-race meal. And those veggie meats are where we are going to get protein replacement… that’s not coming from fruit salad or cole slaw. I don’t think I’ve been to more than one or two races, out of more than 100, where post-race food had anything for plant-based eaters. A minor complaint though and this was a decent race and if I were in that area next time the race was held I’d likely run it again. But it’s not a destination race or a bucket list race. Still it was a fun race and I am glad I did it.
Easy ultra with huge community support
This was the second time I've run this ultra and I enjoyed it more than the first time. The rail trail is a double-wide trail that is mostly gravel with … MORE
This was the second time I’ve run this ultra and I enjoyed it more than the first time. The rail trail is a double-wide trail that is mostly gravel with some dirt. Part of the trail is very fine gravel, whereas other parts have larger rocks up to about three inches in diameter, which means that you have to keep an eye on the trail to avoid tripping. The rocks also can be hard on the feet, so either trail shoes with a rock plate or road shoes with plenty of cushion should be used. The course was well marked along with volunteers with flags at major intersections. There was a lot of community involvement with this race. For example, there was a coupon for a free huckleberry shake from the St. Regis Travel Center in the swag bag. I expected a small sample, but it was a full sized shake. There was a nice free lunch/supper after the race which included beer, pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, homemade pork and beans, cole slaw, and cookies. It was one of the best post-race meals I’ve had. The 50K runners received a white technical shirt at the packet pickup and the finisher’s award was a railroad spike with an engraved plate with the event and name of the race.
Gorgeous Crouse
50 Mile relay spanning two States! Grouse views during my leg, just over 8 miles. Rough ground, but the views made up for it. Race was nicely done as far … MORE
50 Mile relay spanning two States! Grouse views during my leg, just over 8 miles. Rough ground, but the views made up for it. Race was nicely done as far as relay setup.
Scenic trail along the St. Regis River
I really enjoyed this mostly downhill 53K. The first part of the course was an out and back which went up and over a railroad trestle and then through a … MORE
I really enjoyed this mostly downhill 53K. The first part of the course was an out and back which went up and over a railroad trestle and then through a tunnel. The rest of the course was a gradual downhill along the St. Regis River. There were plenty of well-stocked aid stations spaced an average of 4 miles apart, with an opportunity to have a drop bag at about the half-way point. I wore a well-used pair of trail shoes for the first half, but switched to my more comfortable road shoes at the half-way point. At two of the aid stations, we had to take a detour into one of the small towns, which added an extra two miles to the “50K.” The 50K finishers received a custom Fruit-of-the-loom hoodie and the 50 mile finishers were given a Patagonia Houdini jacket. All finishers received a finisher’s award consisting of a railroad spike with an engraved plate commemorating the finish. There was plenty of food and free local beer at the finish which was at a city park. It is one of the few ultras in Montana that isn’t just for the advanced ultrarunners.