XTERRA Wild Horse Creek Race Report

By Kristin Francis

If you are looking for a way to tie in an amazing family vacation with an XTERRA adventure, then XTERRA Wild Horse Creek is for you! Located at the pristine Hyalite Canyon in the Gallatin National Forest, just south of Bozeman, MT, the XTERRA Wild Horse Creek has something for everyone.  Located just an hour from Yellowstone, it's a great way to explore one of the most beautiful national parks in the country and to race on one of the most scenic and challenging XTERRA courses in the series. With three gorgeous campgrounds near the venue, camping is the way to go for this event.

XTERRA Wild Horse Creek offers two distance options for competitors. The XTERRA full-distance race (swim: 1200 yards, bike: 16 miles, run: 6 miles) is very challenging and will not disappoint XTERRA fanatics. For those looking for more of a tamed-down challenge, the Wild Horse Creek short course (swim: 600 yards, bike: 7 miles, run: 3 miles) is perfect. The short course competitors do one lap of the long course swim and run, and then do more of an intermediate section of the long bike course.

The swim takes place in the Hyalite Reservoir, which is a chilly 66 degrees, so wetsuits are required. At an elevation of 7,000 feet, the swim can definitely leave "flat landers" breathless. If the altitude doesn't do it, the 10,000-foot snow-capped cathedral peaks surrounding the area will. After two laps of the 600 yard course, athletes take a short run to transition and get ready for the bike course.

The first two miles of the XTERRA Wild Horse Creek mountain bike course definitely separate the "roadies" from the mountain bikers. Tight, steep, single-track with lots of roots make this part of the course a perfect opportunity for strong bikers to pull ahead. The single-track continues through an amazing field of wild flowers, making it tempting to take your eyes off the trail and take in the beauty. The bike course takes you around the reservoir and just when you can see the venue, you head back up the hill for two laps of a climb up an atv dirt-packed trail followed by a smokin' fast downhill. Then you pop back out onto the main gravel road and head back to the venue and transition.

The run course consists of two 3-mile loops back over the first part of the bike course. Short rooty climbs make this one a leg burner. The run turn-around for the second loop is located next to the finish line, which allows family members the opportunity to cheer. Do it again and you are back at the finish line where ice cold Gatorade, water, and snacks await. XTERRA Wild Horse Creek pint glasses are awarded to the top three age-group long course winners. Lots of raffle prizes make this one award ceremony worth hanging around for.

Nick Fisher (20-24) of Ogden, UT, smoked the course with nearly a ten-minute lead over second place in a time of 2:12:22. In the women's race, Jessica Noyola of San Diego, CA, proved that "flat landers" can kick some butt in the mountains. She won with a time of 2:39:06.

This year's XTERRA Wild Horse Creek had a record turnout and gorgeous 80-degree weather. Spectators had a great time cheering on their loved ones at multiple stages during the race. When they weren't cheering, they were hanging out at the beach of the reservoir, fishing, or checking out the many trails that lead from the venue. Chip timing, great volunteers, low entry fee, amazing course and venue, destination location, tons of raffle prizes, and excellent organization all make XTERRA Wild Horse Creek a race worth checking out.

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