THE BEAR 100
A Run Through Napoleon Dynamite Country
Q: Why did you run 100 miles? A: Because I felt like it.
Gosh!
Place & Date: Preston, Idaho (map) September
26-27
(Friday-Saturday), 2008, 0600 (6:00 a.m.)
Pre-race briefing and drop bag placement is Thursday,
September 25, 2007 at Mountain Valley Trout Farm,
1471 West Highway 218, Smithfield, UT, at 5:00 p.m. (turn west on
highway 218 off Highway 89 in Smithfield, north of Logan. There is a sign
at the trout farm).
NEW!! COURSE CHANGE!
The new course has 24,000' of elevation gain. New maps
are still in process. Check back!
When the Bear 100 was first conceived, Leland hoped for a
point-to-point run from Logan to Bear Lake. Regulatory hurdles prevented
this from happening, until now. Because of your stewardship over your
forest, the Wasatch-Cache/Uinta National Forest, along with the Caribou National
Forest, have granted permission for the point-to-point course originally
contemplated. We do not yet have detailed maps, but do have a
rough map. It's not our usual standard
map, but it will give you a good idea until we get the good maps done.
2007 RACE
PHOTOS (OVER 100)
Online
registration. Online
registration is PREFERRED and will enhance chances of entry if we fill. Race capacity depends on Forest
Service limits. We will post information as it becomes available.
2007
RESULTS
NEW!! Google Earth Course
Track (0.10 mileposts).
Very cool.
Soul Focus Productions'
Dancing the Bear is now out on DVD.
Check out the
trailer.
To get a good perspective of the run terrain,
look at the mountains in the background during the tetherball scene near the end
of Napoleon Dynamite. You can see the ridgeline area between
Bloomington and German Dugway.
2005 Results and Splits
2005 Race Report and Photos
WHY A FRIDAY RACE?
Many runners ask why the
Bear 100 begins on a Friday. There are several reasons. First, many
participants and volunteers (radio operators, scout troops at the aid stations)
are latter-day saints ("Mormons") and find it difficult to participate on a
Sunday. Second, Saturday recreationists and ranchers have less of an
impact when the field is spread out on Saturday morning. Finally, for
those traveling from long distance, taking Thursday and Friday off is easier
than taking off Friday and Monday. If you like or dislike our Friday
start, let us know. mailto:phil@phillowry.com
Need a Place to Stay?
The race begins at the mouth of Logan Dry Canyon, right near Logan, Utah.
There are dozens of hotels within five minutes of the start. Logan is a
medium-sized university city with all the amenities you need, including an
outdoor/running shop. It is a two hour drive from the the Salt Lake City
International Airport.
Entry Refunds Policy and Voluntarism
Because expenses in a race like the Bear are generally incurred
early, if the race is cancelled because of conditions beyond our control, we
reserve the right to retain the entire balance of the entry fee. We are a
nonprofit race and will endeavor to return a portion of those fees that we are
able, but cannot guarantee such return. Thank you for your
understanding.
You may count time volunteering at an ultra
for the service component of your entry.
Awards
All entrants will receive a beautiful
long-sleeve t-shirt with a distinctive design. Finishers receive an
engraved plaque indicating the date of the event and their finish time and
place. They also receive a belt buckle reflective of their time: a Black
Bear buckle for times between 30-35 hours, a Grizzly Bear buckle for times
between 24-30 hours, and a Wolverine buckle for times under 24 hours.
Winners, in addition to the items above, will receive large custom-engraved
pine plaques documenting their accomplishment.
Alternate snow course
Rather than cancel in the face of a snowstorm hitting the high
elevations, the Bear 100 has an alternate snow
course in the event of a snowstorm.
A NOTE ON MILEAGES
The Bear 100 course is 100.33 miles. Why not exactly 100 miles? Well, first of all, such precise tuning of a
trail course is virtually impossible. A movable finish or movable out and
back (like at the Katcina Mosa 100K) is really the only way to achieve such
tuning.
Second, measuring a 100-mile course is very difficult. Mileages up
until now have been based on wheel or recreational GPS measurements (taken
during the actual race over three years by Phil Lowry). Recreational GPS
units can be inaccurate, however, and during a race the GPS databank will only
allow a trackpoint ("breadcrumb") every 60 feet or so. These little
60-foot lines don't take into account every twist and turn of the trail.
In 2005 Phil measured over nine miles with a survey-grade GPS that allows for
comparison with a base unit (to eliminate errant satellite data) and that takes
a track point every second. He then measured the new data over a
sample of the old tracks to see how far they were off. The corrected
(differential) survey GPS gave a test course length that 1.013% greater than the
old track. After dividing this number into the sections of course that
still remain after the Litz Spring, Mill Creek and Copenhagen cutoff changes,
and then subtracting two additional new cutoffs by Maple Canyon and the road to
Fish Haven, he came up with 100.33 (the old number said the course was 99.353).
Making the course longer than the stated distance is the standard used in road
racing, where all course are 100.01% of their stated distance (this is required
for certification). While those last 0.33 miles may be annoying, better
that than being 0.33 under. (By the way, the general understanding in the
ultra community is that it is acceptable if a race is within 1% of its stated
distance).
As for elevation gain and loss, ups and downs are measured by plotting the
GPS track over a computer elevation model of the Earth's surface. Phil
used the model developed by iGage Mapping Corporation in Salt Lake City, and the
model they use is very precise, if perhaps a bit oversensitive.
If you have questions about trail mapping, distance measuring, or the methods
and tools described here, email Phil at phil@phillowry.com.
Course Records: 18.50.45 (Karl SpeedGoat Meltzer, 2007) • (F)
23.56.51 (Ruth Zollinger, 2001)
You are runner
to visit this site since May 3, 2004
Questions? Comments? Please contact our
webmaster.
Your best source of info is the RD, Leland Barker, at 1-435-563-3647. Leland's address is
1471 West Highway 218, Smithfield, UT 84335.
This page authored by Phil Lowry as a service to the
Bear 100.
Always sing on the trails.
Copyright 2001-2006 Bear 100 Mile Endurance
Run and Cache Sun 'n Snow Runners. No portion of this page may be
reproduced for any purpose except to aid in participation in the Bear 100 Mile
Endurance Run. The authors of this page desire but do not guarantee
accuracy. Ultrarunning is a hazardous sport. You must use your
judgment in participating or training for an ultra such as the Bear 100, and
changes in weather, topography and other factors may moot or render inaccurate
the information on this page. Be prepared for any contingency while on the
Bear 100 course. Happy trails.
