Bighorn Trail 100 is one of the friendliest, most-finishable, and most underrated mountain 100s in the American West. 100 miles in the Bighorn Mountains of north-central Wyoming, starting and finishing in Dayton (population 750). 18,000 feet of climb. 34-hour cutoff. Held in mid-June. A common Hardrock qualifier.

The course

An out-and-back through the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Climbs steadily out of Dayton up to alpine meadows and the high point at Jaws (~9,000 ft, mile 30 outbound). Reverses on the way home. The course features fewer technical sections than Hardrock or Wasatch — most of it is runnable single-track and jeep roads. The aid stations are famous for their food.

By the numbers

  • Distance: 100 miles (out-and-back)
  • Vert gain: 18,000 ft
  • Vert per mile: 180 ft/mi (moderate)
  • Highest point: ~9,200 ft (Jaws)
  • Cutoff: 34 hours
  • Date: Mid-June (Friday morning start)

How to qualify and enter

Bighorn requires a 50-mile or 100K qualifying race finish. Standard online registration on a first-come-first-served basis with a waitlist; the race fills in 6–10 weeks of registration opening. Less competitive than the Hardrock-tier lotteries.

Gear strategy

  • Vest: 8–12L. Salomon Adv Skin 12 or BD Distance 8.
  • Shoes: Hoka Speedgoat 6 is the right call — runnable course favors cushion over aggressive lugs.
  • Layers: long sleeve and beanie at the high point; can drop to 30s overnight even in June.
  • Headlamp: primary + spare. ~6–10 hours of dark depending on finish time.
  • Poles: optional. Most finishers don't use them.

Pacing

Pacers allowed from Footbridge (mile 66) onward. Most runners pick up one pacer there and run home together.

Pacing strategy: go out conservatively. Bighorn rewards patience — the back half of the race (downhill, runnable) is where time can be made up if you didn't blow up climbing.

The Bighorn experience

Bighorn has the warmest, most welcoming aid stations of any 100-miler we've run. The volunteers are mostly locals who've been doing it for 20+ years; the food is local and abundant; the course management is genuine. Most finishers describe Bighorn as the race they recommend to first-time 100-mile runners — finishable, beautiful, and not over-promoted.