Get ready for the Spartan Race!
It’s said that, “The race is not given to the swift, but to those who endure to the end.”
That isn’t exactly true, of course, but it may seem so to those who participate in Saturday’s grueling Spartan Race — the first-ever such obstacle race in Montana.
The course has been set up south of Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, and promises to be a huge event. In fact, it has such wide appeal that 4,300 people are paying up to $100 to put themselves to the test, and untold hundreds more are paying up to $25 just to watch!
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but you have to hand it to the promoters of the Spartan Race for coming up with an innovative way to make money. And the money won’t just go to them — this is a big deal for tourism in Northwest Montana, too.
Diane Medler of the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau said that 64 percent of the participants are traveling at least 100 miles to race. We bet a lot of them will spend at least two days in local hotels, eat at a lot of local restaurants and spend money in local stores.
Add this brand new event to the Montana Dragonboat Race, also held at Flathead Lake Lodge, and suddenly the so-called “shoulder seasons” of spring and fall are immeasurably richer for the local tourist industry.
Hats off to everyone involved in both events.
Don't forget Forestry Expo
Another outdoor event on Saturday’s calendar is a perennial favorite, Family Forestry Expo near Columbia Falls.
All this week elementary-school classes have trooped through the Expo, enjoying a wide range of educational and hands-on activities.
On Saturday, the Expo is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Families can enjoy a free “loggers lunch” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and grandstand shows at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. that include logging equipment demonstrations, a show by the Flathead Valley Community College Logging Sports Team and a U.S. Forest Service mule packing demonstration.
There are plenty of exhibits and educational stations along a forest path for people to enjoy, too.
To get to the Expo, go 2 miles north of the junction of U.S. 2 and Montana 40.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake's editorial board.