We’re heading back to Bozeman after a fun weekend at the Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT) in Sun Valley, Idaho! The BMT is a 30 kilometer, point to point race starting in Galena and ending down valley towards Ketchum. This race is unique, in that it is a net-downhill course which is something we don’t typically encounter as Nordic skiers. The race begins with some climbing and rolling terrain for the first 5-10k and then is pretty much all gradual downhill for the remaining 20k with the exception of a few hills.
This was my first time racing the BMT, so I didn’t know exactly what to expect as I was standing at the start line. My teammate Erika had told me prior to the weekend that this was a very tactical race and often comes down to a sprint finish. With the course being net-downhill it can be hard to breakaway since there is a strong draft effect. The elite Women’s wave started at a moderate pace and quickly broke into a lead group of about seven skiers. After around 10k the group shrunk to just four skiers: Mariah Bredal, Annika Landis, Erika Flowers, and me. The four of us skied the duration of the race together as we winded down the valley in a pack.
During a normal race I am usually quite nervous at the beginning and become more relaxed as the race goes on. This was not the case yesterday. As the kilometers ticked away, it was apparent that nobody was making a move and that the race would come down to a sprint finish. We flew by the “5k to go” sign together as a pack, then the 3k sign, then the 1k sign, still together. We crossed the “500 meters to go” sign and this is when I knew I had to make a move. The course widened up so I took the left lane and sprinted as hard as I could into the finish. It was an extremely close finish with less than a few seconds separating all of us, but I was able to cross the line first.
For anyone who has never done the Boulder Mountain Tour, I would highly recommend this race. With blue skies, stunning views, perfect trails, amazing community, and such a fun post-race scene, the BMT goes down as one of my favorite marathons yet. A big thank you to all of the race organizers and volunteers that put on such an incredible event. I will definitely be back!
