Charity:

• All donations from the event will go to Youth Homes, a Missoula-based organization which provides services and shelters for children facing abuse, neglect, emotional trauma and substance abuse problems in Western Montana.  For more information, click here.

Beer:

• Big Sky Brewing has generously donated beer for the event.

How does this race work?

• The Treadmill Challenge will test who can run the farthest distance in 10 minutes on a treadmill set to a 12% grade.
• There will be 6 men, 6 women, and 3 treadmills, with two prelims and one final for each gender.
• Each heat will have three competitors.  Whoever goes the farthest in 10 minutes will win the prelim.  The winner of each prelim plus the holder of the next farthest distance will advance to the final.
• The three athletes lucky (or unlucky) enough to make the final get to do it all over again.  Winners will be crowned King & Queen of the Mill!

Schedule of Events:

• 6:30pm – Doors Open
• 7:00pm – Men’s Prelim Heat #1 (Kris Brown, Cody Moore, Jackson Cole)
• 7:15pm – Men’s Prelim Heat #2 (Mitch Morris, Dawson Knopp, Adam Peterman)
• 7:30pm – Women’s Prelim Heat #1 (Erin Forde, Catherine Polgar, Jamison Molloy)
• 7:45pm – Women’s Prelim Heat #2 (Sam Lewis, Madison Liechty, Nicole Murray)
• 8:00pm – Men’s Final Heat
• 8:15pm – Women’s Final Heat
• 8:30pm – Crowning of the King and Queen of the Treadmill and announcement of the prediction contest winner

Prediction Contest:

We will have a bracket-style prediction contest the night of the event for spectators to join in on the fun. The brackets must be filled out before 7:00pm when the races start! Brackets are $5 each.

The Women

Sam Lewis  – Sam runs professionally for On and coaches at the University of Idaho.  She competed at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships in Thailand in the short distance trail race, so you know the Treadmill Challenge is right in her wheelhouse. This Vandal is in Griz country Thursday night! (But please cheer her on regardless)

Nicole Murray – Nicole is an absolute machine at the Treadmill Challenge.  Defeated only once at the Treadmill Challenge in 2021, Nicole has won every other time that she’s competed. She was also a 2x US Olympic Marathon trials qualifier, a US National Champion in Mountain Running, and a 2x member of the US National Team for Mountain Running. 

Cat Polgar – Cat punched her ticket to the Treadmill Challenge when she won the Sentinel Hill Climb in 2023 – from the second wave! In addition to running, you may see Cat competing in local cyclocross races and the OSCR skate ski race. She is currently a nursing student wrapping up her degree.  

Madison Liechty – Sentinel High School graduate and a member of the Montana State Cross Country team, Madison now lives in Bozeman and trains for marathons and trail races.  Last year, she ran the Lake Sonoma 50 miler in California.  Interestingly enough, she mentioned that she cries after every race, no matter if she’s happy or sad, so keep an eye out for that.

Erin Forde – You may know Erin as a friendly face at the Runner’s Edge. But watch out, she’s a fierce competitor. This past year, she ran 2:40 at the Chicago Marathon and was also a finalist at the Treadmill Challenge.  She previously ran at Iowa State University as a middle distance runner, and now coaches at Hellgate High School.  Erin is also a great friend to have, as she laughs at all jokes, no matter how terrible.

Jamison Molloy – Hellgate High School cross country and track runner, Jamison was the State AA Champion in the 3200 in 2023.  She is also coached by Erin Forde, and will be in the same heat as her.  Will the apprentice beat the mentor?!