Copper Kings 100, Butte Montana

Live Tracking: http://trackleaders.com/copperkings23

My family has a lot of history in Butte, Montana. Both my parents were born and grew up there. My dad’s dad worked underground in the mines of Butte, and my mom’s dad was a county commissioner and a well-known insurance agent. My cousins John and Jerry Piazzola still ranch around Butte and I have three aunts in the area. I spent many summer vacations visiting Butte, and it has a very special place in my heart. It is a beautiful place to run too!

This idea of this run started as a way to honor my family’s connection to Butte by making a long run for myself to connect special places from my family’s history.

In the late 1880s Butte boomed as a mining town, it was once called The Richest Hill on Earth. The mine owners battled for control of the profits, and the most successful mine owners were known as the Copper Kings.

Interesting tidbit for you familiar with the Cocodona 250: Butte was once a booming copper mining town, and one of the three Copper Kings in Butte in the late 1800s was William Clark. Clark later bought and developed the United Verde Mine in Jerome, AZ and Clarkdale, AZ is named after him! Clark’s Butte home, known as the Copper King Mansion, is available for tours.

The Copper Kings 100 is an endurance run that we will run as a small invite-only fat ass on Saturday June 24, 2023. The 105.5 mile course starts and ends in town and runs a single loop including 65 miles of the Continental Divide Trail.

Runners are required to register through UltraSignup, either provide a supported satellite tracker or rent one, provide their own support crew, and be prepared to self-navigate the provided course.

In September 2022, to celebrate my birthday, I ran the first half of the course idea, and a video of that day is on my YouTube channel:

Fat Ass?

In the tradition of the fat ass, there is no entry fee, no aid stations, and there are no course markings. This event is for experienced ultra runners only. Each runner will provide their own support crew who will provide aid at designated locations. The course will not be marked, so runners will follow the course using a GPS device with a provided route.

BYOS - Bring Your Own Support

Runners must provide their own crew and their own support
- There are eight (8) specified crew access locations, but no aid is provided
The course will not be marked, runners must have the course downloaded to their phone or GPS device
Safety
- Runners are required to carry a satellite tracker/messenger, you can use your own if supported, or rent from TrackLeaders. Details to be sorted out in early June.
- Runners are encouraged to carry bear spray - https://amzn.to/3CQRywa

June 2023 Fat Ass Schedule

Friday June 23
- 4:00pm: Mandatory race briefing, group dinner
Saturday June 24
- 4:30-4:45am: Gather at the Mountain Con Mine in Butte, attach satellite trackers
- 5:00am: Run starts!
Sunday June 25
- Finish and welcome other finishers, please finish before 5pm Sunday (36 hours)
- Group dinner

Cost

This June 2023 fat ass event is free to register!

You may have to pay TrackLeaders to rent a satellite tracker if you don’t already have an active subscription with a supported tracker.

Rules

Invited runners must sign a waiver and register through Ultrasignup
- Invited runners please register and join the waitlist, we’ll add you to the actual entrant list
Navigation
- The course will not be marked
- The course is relatively easy to follow, but runners are required to have a GPS device loaded with the course GPX file
- You must be able to use your device to follow the course offline
- We recommend Gaia GPS on your phone with the maps downloaded
Crew and support
- You must provide a crew to meet you at crew access points and act as your aid station
- Runners can share a crew
- All your hydration and fuel is provided by your crew. The race organization is not providing support to runners
Tracking
- A Satellite tracker/messenger connected to TrackLeaders is required
- You can use your own supported SPOT or Garmin InReach series device
- If you don’t have you own supported device you must rent one from TrackLeaders for $40
- Details about satellite trackers, using your own or renting will be coordinated with TrackLeaders in early June
Pacers
- Runners can have a pacer starting from the crew access point at mile 57 or any crew access after that.
Dogs
- Dogs are not allowed on the course but are welcome with crew at aid stations
Bear spray
- Grizzlies are not resident in this area, but there are bears, mountain lion, and other wildlife
- Bear spray is recommended but not required https://amzn.to/3QEE7Fg

Course

105.5 miles

approx 16,100 feet gain

Please be done in less than 36 hours (finish before 5pm Sunday)

Elevation profile

Travel

Driving
- 665 miles, 10 hour drive from Portland OR
- 1030 miles, 15.5 hour drive from Prescott AZ
- 1360 miles, 20 hour drive from Madison WI
Flying
- Bozeman
  - 80 miles, 1hr 15min drive to Butte
- Missoula
  - 120 miles, 1hr 45min drive to Butte