About This Race
The 3 Bears Trail Races offer a nostalgic journey back to the original Bear 100 course that challenged runners from 1999 to 2007. This intimate gathering in Utah's Bear River Mountains brings together the Papa Bear 100-mile, Mama Bear 50-mile, and Baby Bear 50K distances on a demanding high-altitude course. The event has been inconsistently scheduled in recent years, with organizers noting it was not planned for 2023 and suggesting runners check back in 2024. Starting from Deer Cliff Inn, the races follow complex loop patterns that showcase the technical terrain and elevation changes that made the original Bear course legendary among ultrarunners. The Papa Bear 100-mile begins on Friday morning, while the shorter distances start on Saturday, creating a multi-day festival atmosphere for the small but dedicated field of participants.
The courses utilize a combination of clockwise and counter-clockwise loops centered around Danish Pass and the Highline Trail. The Papa Bear 100-mile follows the most complex routing, beginning with the 50-mile course clockwise to Danish Pass, then completing a counter-clockwise loop before reversing the entire 50-mile route. The terrain features technical singletrack through high mountain forests, with significant elevation changes and challenging navigation points that require focused attention from runners.
Notable Features
This race offers the unique opportunity to experience the original Bear 100 course that operated for nearly a decade before the current Bear 100 moved to a different location. The multi-loop format and complex routing create a technical navigation challenge that separates this event from more straightforward ultra courses. The intimate field size and mountain lodge start/finish at Deer Cliff Inn provide a throwback atmosphere to ultrarunning's earlier, more grassroots era.