Nearly 2,000 join Helena’s Don't Fence Me In Trail Run fundraiser

Nearly 2,000 runners and walkers poured through Helena’s hills and streets Saturday for the 25th anniversary of the Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run, a turnout that shows how deeply the city’s trail system is tied to local health, land use and conservation priorities.

The event began in 2000 as a volunteer effort by Kris Larson and Martin Miller to raise awareness for Prickly Pear Land Trust. What started small has grown into one of Helena’s biggest outdoor gatherings, with more than 2,000 participants and volunteers now moving through the South Hills and the Mount Helena and Mount Ascension parklands before finishing back in Pioneer Park.

This year’s race again offered four distances, 50K, 25K, 12K and 5K, along with two noncompetitive walks, a 12K Hike and 5K Dog Walk. All courses started and finished in Pioneer Park, and the routes sent runners from historic neighborhood streets onto rugged single-track in minutes. The 50K course crossed five ridges and summited two peaks, a reminder that Helena’s trail network is not just scenic, but central to the way the city uses its public lands.

Prickly Pear Land Trust says the race operates on public lands under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service and also uses City of Helena land. The organization says the fundraiser supports parks, trails, open space, wildlife habitat and agricultural lands, along with its conservation, recreation and education mission. For a city where families, hikers and trail runners share the same hills, that support matters well beyond race day.

The finish-line celebration has also become part of the draw, with live music, local beer and food, and games turning Pioneer Park into a gathering place for runners, volunteers and neighbors. The event’s scale gives local businesses a spring boost while reinforcing Helena’s reputation as a trail town, one where access to public land is not an afterthought but part of daily life.