Summit Schweitzer at the annual Race the Wolf

By Reader Staff

Enough “fun runs” and easy, paved jaunts — it’s time for a race that tests the strength of your legs and your will. Priest Lake Race’s Race the Wolf returns on Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, with four runs of various lengths and difficulties throughout Schweitzer Mountain’s rugged trails and beyond.

Racers and onlookers will begin (and end) at the Schweitzer Village clock tower before launching into the races’ trails, which crisscross the mountain through subalpine forests, along ridges and across meadows with views of Canada and Montana. 

The two-day event kicks off Saturday with a five-mile race beginning at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Sky Climb at 2 p.m., a mile-long trek with 1,660 feet of elevation gain from the Village to the Sky House. Registration for both costs $45 online at priestlakerace.com or at the starting line one hour before the races begin. Sunday’s races include the Trail Marathon at 7 a.m. and Trail Half Marathon at 8:30 p.m., which cost $120 and $90, respectively.

Race terrain will include rocky access roads, hiking trails, downhill mountain biking trails and off-trail uphill climbs. Participants will have access to multiple aid stations throughout their journeys; however, the trails are difficult, and the races will continue no matter the weather. 

Each race features prizes of trophies and/or T-shirts for the top three fastest male and female runners in each age category. Winners of the Sky Climb — or anyone who completes two races, earning the title of “Alpha Wolf” — will receive a stainless steel trophy pint glass that they can fill with a complimentary beverage.

The full and half marathons end with a complementary post-race lunch and beverages catered by Schweitzer. Visit priestlakerace.com and schweitzer.com/things-to-do/events to learn more.