Blue Skies and Beer at Montana’s Don’t Fence Me In
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Matt Kempton closes in on Ryan Woods at the La Sportiva Mountain Cup’s fifth race
In the days leading up to the 2015 Don’t Fence Me In 30K, in Helena, Montana, the weather kept racers guessing, with patches of sun broken up by storms and low temperatures. Race morning arrived with unexpectedly blue skies and cool temperatures. Toeing the line were Mountain Cup racers Maria Dalzot, Sara Kjorstad, Brett Ferrier and Matthew Kempton, along with over 700 others spread between the three distances.
At the starting gun, racers took off. At the front of the pack, Kempton, Ferrier and Dalzot led the field out of downtown Helena. As the racers neared the end of the course, some of the trail markings were obscured, causing the leaders some confusion. Markings were quickly replaced by course workers getting the majority of the racers heading the right way.
Crossing the finish line, Matt Kempton lead Henry Reich, of Montana, and Brett Ferrier came in third place. Maria Dalzot opened up a large gap over the second-place woman, and took the podium’s top spot. After finishing, racers enjoyed the pleasant weather in downtown Helena, along with activities and a specially brewed beer from local brewery, Blackfoot Brewing.
With another win, Matthew Kempton closes in on Mountain Cup leader Ryan Woods and looks to challenge Woods in the remainder of the season. Maria Dalzot’s win extends her lead in the Women’s Cup. Stay tuned as the second half of the Mountain Cup kicks off for even more exciting racing.