About cycling & running in MissoulaMissoula Training Notes
Running: Locals run the Clark Fork River path when they want easy Z2, and the city goes from door to dirt fast. The route covers 76 miles and 2,600 feet of gain when intervals need teeth. Run Wild Missoula is the big tent, with Tuesday Track, Wednesday Wild Miles, Saturday Breakfast Run, Queer Run Missoula, and Dry Miles Missoula. from May through October for 3 or 5 miles starting at Clyde Coffee. The anchor calendar centers on Missoula Marathon Weekend of Events, City to Sky 50K and 25K, and Pengelly Double Dip & Bob Hayes Single Dip trail races.
Cycling: Locals ride the Kim Williams trail along the Clark Fork River when they want a clean rollout, then point the bike toward Jumbo Saddle, Mount Sentinel, Pattee Canyon, Lincoln Hills, or Marshall Mountain. Missoula Bicycle Club keeps the social miles simple, and Adventure Cycling Association, Scheels Ride Club - Missoula, MTB Missoula, and Missoula MTB Bike League fill out the scene. Jumbo Saddle gives you 20.1 km with 307 m of gain, while Butler Creek Gravel Ride packs 1,079 m into 19.6 km. Stuart Peak brings 22ish total miles with a little over 4,000ft of elevation gain. Missoula MTB Bike League is the anchor event, and the gravel crowd treats Florence 50, Blackfoot Hackle, and A Tale of 2 Creeks like long base-mile days.
Season: Late June through late September is the sweet spot, with dry days, sunny riding, and July averaging around 21°C. Locals stack road miles on Big Flat Loop Missoula, Frenchtown-Huson Loop, and Florence 50, then cool down in the Clark Fork River, Bitterroot River, or Blackfoot River. Runners use Mount Sentinel early or late, because summer has an average daily temperature swing of more than 10°C. Winter changes the kit and the routes, because snow usually runs from October 30 to April 20 and averages 120 cm. Run Wild Missoula moves winter evenings to Toole Park for Wednesday Wild Miles, and The Bubble Run keeps frosty toes off the track indoors.
