Key dates for 2027
The Bear set its lottery dates so runners are less likely to be drawn for several races without refunds. You are charged only if you are drawn.
- Lottery opens
6 a.m. Mountain Time on UltraSignup.
- Qualifying window closes
Your qualifier must be between 1 December 2022 and 1 December 2026.
- Lottery closes
- Lottery draw
7 p.m. Mountain Time.
- Last day for a $250 refund
$150 from 1 June to 31 August, then nothing.
- Service hours due
Runners who have not submitted their 8 hours are removed without a refund.
- Packet pickup and drop bags
3:30 to 6 p.m. at the start. This is mandatory.
- Race day
6 a.m. start. The cutoff is 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.
How to get a place
Enter the lottery on UltraSignup between 15 November and 10 December 2026. Each year you apply without starting doubles your tickets, and runners who have finished the Bear before get twice as many again. Starting the race, whether you finish or not, resets your tickets. Withdrawing before the start does not.
For 2027 the race has 270 lottery places, plus places for aid-station captains' picks, Bear Tag winners, sponsors and special cases, and it draws up to 300 more onto the waitlist. For 2026, 886 people entered for 300 places, and the odds were 28% with one ticket and 49% with two. The race says it cleared its waitlist in 2025 and 2026.
The fee is $395 plus tax and UltraSignup fees. You can get $250 back until the end of May and $150 until the end of August, then nothing. There are no transfers, and deferrals are only for pregnancy or a call-up to active military duty.
Qualifier
You need an official 50-mile race in under 16 hours, or any official 100K, 100-mile or 200-mile race within its cutoff, run between 1 December 2022 and 1 December 2026. A backyard race counts if you covered 50 miles or more.
Service requirement
Every runner must do 8 hours of trail work or volunteering at the Bear or another ultra between September 2026 and September 2027, and submit it by 15 September. Crewing and pacing do not count. You can instead pay $100 for a local to work on the trails for you.
The course
The first climb is the longest: about 4,700 feet in 10 miles from Logan to Logan Peak, followed by a 10-mile descent to Leatham Hollow. The route then crosses into Logan Canyon, climbs to Tony Grove at about halfway and heads north to Franklin Basin and Beaver Mountain. From there it turns south through Stump Hollow to Peter Sinks and Burnt Fork, and ends with a fast, rough dirt-road descent into Garden City.
About 65% is single-track, a third is dirt road and only 1.5% is paved. Late September brings red maples and yellow aspens, which is why the race is held then.
The 2026 course change
The old finish at Fish Haven, Idaho could no longer be used, so in 2026 the race moved the finish to Conestoga Ranch in Garden City, Utah. About 25% of the course changed: the route now turns south after Beaver Mountain instead of north into Idaho, and 10 miles of dirt road became single-track. It has about 350 feet less climbing, and the race expects it to be a few minutes faster.
Weather
Days are usually warm or hot, in the 70s or 80s °F, and nights in the mountain valleys often drop below freezing. Peter Sinks is a cold-air basin that once recorded −69°F in winter. The race says it has had to change the course twice for winter conditions. There is no mandatory kit, so carrying enough warm layers is up to you.
Aid stations and cutoffs
Each runner gets one race drop bag, and all bags are dropped at the start on Thursday. Pacers can join from Right Hand Fork at mile 37.5, and runners over 60 can have a pacer from the start. The race suggests pacers start at Tony Grove, because parking is tight earlier. The race is cupless and there is no phone signal in the canyon.
| Aid station | Mile | Km | Cutoff | Drop bag | Crew | Pacer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Peak | 10 | 16.1 | 10:00am (4h) | No | No | No |
| Leatham Hollow | 20 | 32.2 | 1:00pm (7h) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Upper Richards Hollow | 28.5 | 45.9 | 4:30pm (10h30) | No | No | No |
| Right Hand Fork | 37.5 | 60.4 | 7:30pm (13h30) | Yes | With a pass | Yes |
| Temple Fork | 45.5 | 73.2 | 10:30pm (16h30) | Yes | With a pass | Yes |
| Tony Grove | 52 | 83.7 | 1:00am (19h) | Yes | With a pass | Yes |
| Franklin Basin | 62 | 99.8 | 5:00am (23h) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Logan River | 70.5 | 113.5 | 8:30am (26h30) | Yes | No | No |
| Beaver Mountain | 76.5 | 123.1 | 11:00am (29h) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Peter Sinks | 83.5 | 134.4 | 1:30pm (31h30) | No | No | No |
| Burnt Fork | 92 | 148.1 | 4:00pm (34h) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Finish, Garden City | 100 | 160.9 | 6:00pm (36h) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
From the race's 2027 aid-station sheet. Cutoffs are clock times, with elapsed hours from the 6 a.m. start in brackets. Crews at Right Hand Fork, Temple Fork and Tony Grove need a pass, and each crew can use only one of Right Hand Fork or Temple Fork. Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.
Rules worth knowing
- No muling, no stashing supplies and only one pacer at a time until the last mile.
- Crewing anywhere other than the allowed aid stations, including using both Right Hand Fork and Temple Fork, means disqualification.
- Carrying on after a cutoff means disqualification and no future entry.
- IV or other injections can mean immediate disqualification.
- Leave dogs at home: they are banned at the start, aid stations and finish.
Records and results
Zach Garner set the men's record of 17:11:51 in 2023 in his first 100. Kristin Johnson set the women's record of 18:50:37 on the new course in 2026, finishing third overall. Sidney Noble won the 2026 men's race in 17:39:23. In 2026, 254 of 350 starters finished, and 27 ran under 24 hours.
| Year | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kristin Johnson, 18:50:37 | Sidney Noble, 17:39:23 |
| 2025 | Sarah Humble, 21:12:16 | Mike Cappi, 18:34:50 |
| 2024 | Careth Arnold, 20:25:49 | Jose Cruz, 19:55:23 |
| 2023 | Kathryn Graham, 22:25:35 | Zachary Garner, 17:11:51 |
| 2022 | Allison Stratton, 23:21:57 | Mick Clifford, 20:14:15 |
| 2021 | Becca Windell, 21:45:00 | Adam Loomis, 18:45:57 |
Show every year as a table
| Year | Starters | Finishers | Finish rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 350 | 254 | 72.6% |
| 2025 | 335 | 252 | 75.2% |
| 2024 | 346 | 251 | 72.5% |
| 2023 | 356 | 239 | 67.1% |
| 2022 | 313 | 235 | 75.1% |
| 2021 | 301 | 199 | 66.1% |
| 2019 | 303 | 204 | 67.3% |
| 2018 | 316 | 221 | 69.9% |
| 2017 | 303 | 222 | 73.3% |
| 2016 | 287 | 166 | 57.8% |
| 2014 | 277 | 167 | 60.3% |
| 2013 | 277 | 174 | 62.8% |
| 2012 | 248 | 167 | 67.3% |
| 2011 | 264 | 175 | 66.3% |
Rates calculated by Running for Good Ultra from the published starters and finishers. Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.
Course records and buckles
Finishers under 24 hours get the Wolverine buckle, 24 to 30 hours the Grizzly and 30 to 36 hours the Black Bear. The top three women and men win $500, $300 and $200, and a new course record earns $1,000.
| Record | Runner | Time | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's course record | Zach Garner | 17:11:51 | 2023 |
| Women's course record | Kristin Johnson | 18:50:37 | 2026 |
Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.
Is it a qualifier?
Yes. The Bear counts for both the Western States and Hardrock lotteries, and the race submits results to UTMB for runners' index scores. It is also the compulsory final race of the Rocky Mountain Slam, a series of mountain 100s that began with Hardrock, Leadville, Wasatch and the Bear.
History
The Bear was first run in 1999, when 14 runners finished. Hal Koerner won the first five editions, and Karl Meltzer won from 2005 to 2007. Cody and Bethany Draper are now the race directors. In 2027 the race celebrates its 29th anniversary.
Getting there
Logan is less than two hours from Salt Lake City International Airport, with plenty of hotels near the start. A $25 bus takes runners from the finish back to the start at about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Conestoga Ranch has showers and a restaurant, but bring your own towel.
Questions people ask
When is the Bear 100 in 2027?
Friday 24 September 2027 at 6 a.m., with a 36-hour cutoff at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Does it still finish in Fish Haven, Idaho?
No. Since 2026 it finishes at Conestoga Ranch in Garden City, Utah, and the whole course is in Utah.
How do I enter?
Enter the lottery on UltraSignup between 15 November and 10 December 2026. The draw is on 19 December.
What qualifier do I need?
A 50-miler in under 16 hours, or any official 100K or longer within cutoff, between 1 December 2022 and 1 December 2026.
How much does it cost?
$395 plus tax and UltraSignup fees, charged only if you are drawn.
Is there a volunteer requirement?
Yes. You need 8 hours of trail work or volunteering, submitted by 15 September 2027, or you can pay $100 instead.
Can I have a pacer?
Yes, from Right Hand Fork at mile 37.5, one at a time. Runners over 60 can have one from the start.
Is it a Western States qualifier?
Yes, and a Hardrock qualifier too.
What are the course records?
Zach Garner's 17:11:51 from 2023 and Kristin Johnson's 18:50:37 from 2026.
What is the refund policy?
$250 until the end of May, $150 until the end of August, and nothing after that.
Sources
Race details come from bear100.com, its 2027 aid-station sheet and the 2026 runner's manual, checked on 19 October 2026. Some older pages on the race site still name Fish Haven as the finish; we follow the course page and manual. Finish rates are counted from UltraSignup results. Running for Good Ultra is independent of the race.
- The Bear 100: home page checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: information checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: lottery checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: course checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: aid stations checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: 2027 aid-station sheet checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: crew directions checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: rules checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: volunteer and trail work checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: Bear Tags checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: Rocky Mountain Slam checked 19 October 2026
- The Bear 100: 2026 runner's manual (PDF) checked 19 October 2026
- UltraSignup: 2027 registration checked 19 October 2026
- UltraSignup: 2026 results checked 19 October 2026
- OpenSplitTime: The Bear 100 checked 19 October 2026
- Western States: qualifying races checked 19 October 2026
- Hardrock: qualifying races checked 19 October 2026
- iRunFar: this week in running, 2 October 2023 checked 19 October 2026
- iRunFar: this week in running, 28 September 2026 checked 19 October 2026
Found something that needs correcting? Let us know.