Snow cancels long Swan Crest run

The Swan Crest 100 mile ultra marathon race has been canceled due to lingering snow on the Swan Mountain Range that would have obstructed the course.

The race, which was scheduled to start Friday, would have covered 100 miles of terrain along the crest, roughly between Swan Lake and Bad Rock Canyon.

Race organizer Brad Lamson said he traveled part of the course about three weeks prior to the scheduled start and found that trail  junctions still were buried by snow that would have prevented the course from being properly marked.

“I just realized that in three weeks the snow wouldn’t melt,” he said. “It would just create issues for runner safety.”

Last year’s inaugural race involved about 75 people, including support personnel, organizers and 44 runners. Only about 20 people finished the race.

The race ran into controversy when an environmental group claimed that the event was an improper activity on sensitive roadless lands that could have impacts on grizzly bears because of potential encounters with runners.

Organizers of the run eventually scaled back the event so it would not require a commercial permit from the Flathead National Forest.