Montana Cup 2026

The Montana Cup is a fall cross country meet focused on town-versus-town team scoring, distinct from road races or ultra trail events. Participants compete on teams representing Montana's seven largest towns, with separate races for women and men, and Masters divisions for those age 40 and older. The event rotates host sites across the state; recent locations have included Gallatin County Regional Park, Zinn Ranch west of Helena, and the Billings area. The competition aims to unite Montana's dispersed running communities in a single event, emphasizing regional pride over typical individual race competition. The team that wins retains possession of the Montana Cup traveling trophy for one year. Race day follows a straightforward schedule: packet pickup, the National Anthem, the women's and men's races, followed by awards and refreshments. Local running clubs and volunteers organize each event, with past support from figures like the Zinn family near Helena and the Yellowstone Rim Runners in the Billings area.