Race Information
ABOUT
A 60km or 200km human-powered winter race on a network of groomed snowmobile trails, a stone's throw away from Yellowstone National Park. Groomed is relative. This is a backcountry event that will require some experience and winter survival skills. You will be challenged, humbled and rewarded in many different ways. The 200km distance course will not be marked and you will need to navigate by GPS or map and compass. The 60km will be well marked. If you can read a map you will have no problem following the route. You will need to be self-sufficient and carry all your own gear, food, and water, although there will be checkpoints and aid stations.
This event was created to help people gain experience and learn about backcountry winter travel. We feel everyone needs that chance and we do not require a resume of races to do the 60km or 200km distance, although past winter travel experience is strongly recommended.
Please understand that temperatures of 20 below are not uncommon. The snowfall average at 6300′, your low point, is over 200″ and over 300″ at your high point of 8300′. Snow is guaranteed!
DO NOT TAKE THE 60KM DISTANCE LIGHTLY!
You are being exposed to the same things the 200km participants are being faced with.
Thursday, Jan. 5th
200k Racers
4:00-6:00pm
200k Gear Check & Check-in
6:30pm 200k Racer Meeting
Registration resumes after the meeting until 9:00pm
WHERE
Island Park, Idaho
Sawtelle Mountain Resort is the event Headquarters. (4133 Quakie Lane, Island Park)
Registration, gear check, and the racer meetings will all take place at the resort. It is also the START/FINISH of both the 60km and 200km races. How convenient!
The route takes place in and around the area – The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. You will be riding just outside Yellowstone National Park.
Schedule
Friday Jan. 6th
200k Racers
6:45am 200k
Last Minute Info
7:00 am 200k START
60k Racers
4:00-6:00pm
60k Gear Check & Check-in
7:30pm 60k
Racer Meeting resumes after the meeting until 9:00pm
7:00 pm 200k
Check Point 1 Cut-off
PRE-RACE MEETING AT Sawtelle Mountain Resort
The race meeting is not mandatory but is very helpful for participants. If you do not come to the meeting PLEASE read through the entire website and pre-race information email before the start.
The meeting will be held outside at the Sawtelle Mtn Resort for all 200km/60km racers that will address trail conditions, rules, safety, etc and last-minute info (and surprises) that I need to pass along.
200km
Thursday, Jan 11, 6:30 pm – Racer meeting for all disciplines at Sawtelle.
Friday, Jan 12, 6:45 am – Short meeting. Meant for prepared veterans that cannot make the meeting the evening before due to travel logistics. This will be very brief. I will only be passing along information that is not found here on the website and any last-minute changes. I will also answer any questions you may have.
*I highly encourage and recommend to you to be at the event site on Thursday. Thursday’s meeting will be more informative.
*Friday’s meeting will be very brief.
*We have included the last minute Friday morning race day, gear check and meeting with respect to people's time away from home, travel, and veterans of the event. If you fall into this category don’t come unprepared, be late, or cause stress to yourself or the event management. We will not cut you slack if you come up short on a piece of equipment, are late, or do not make the meeting. We will not let you start and you will not get a refund.
60km
Friday, Jan 12, 7:30 pm – Brief racer meeting for all disciplines at Sawtelle Mountain Resort .
Saturday, Jan 13, 7:45 am - Brief racer meeting for all disciplines at the start line at Sawtelle. Sign-in closes at 7:30am!
GEAR CHECK
200km - Sign-In AND Gear Check must be done on Thursday at race headquarters (Sawtelle Mountain Resort)
(Contact us for special arrangements if a early Friday morning needs to be accommodated)
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Don’t make it difficult and arrive last minute thinking you are the only one.
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Make sure you show up prepared with all your gear! Don’t expect to be able to get last-minute gear in Island Park. Food, yes. Gear, not really.
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Please be somewhat organized for the gear check. Thank you
PRIZES
Yes, Please
60km Overall
1st, 2nd and 3rd will receive an award along with sponsor prizes.
200km Overall
1st – will receive an award along with sponsor prizes and an open spot to register for the 2022 ITI*
2nd & 3rd will receive an award along with sponsor prizes.
Men and women awarded separately in all distances.
Our sponsors give us lots of great stuff and it goes directly to you. Some of it will get given away to the overall winners and the rest will be raffled.
RAFFLE
I have always said we don’t clap for raffles and I would hate to put you through an hour of calling names. So, we do a silent raffle while you are out on the trail. When you get back to the lodge check the table to see if your name is on any of the prizes. Everyone gets one raffle ticket and you can buy additional tickets.
Please visit our Sponsors page to see who is supporting this event and making it possible. These are brands and business we believe in so please consider supporting them.
*The person who wins the opportunity to register for the Iditarod Trail Invitational will have to be approved by me, JayP. I will be responsible for giving the Iditarod Trail Invitational organizers the OK on your ability and that you are capable of competing on that trail. As I have a full understanding and great respect of what the Iditarod Trail Invitational has to offer I will only give my honest opinion to both you and the organizers. In short, just don’t do anything that will put you or anybody else at risk. Thanks for understanding.
The Fat Pursuit 200km is a qualifier for the Iditarod Trail Invitational.
CELEBRATION
12:00 pm, Sunday, January 14th we will have a toast at the START/FINISH banner. This is an effort to celebrate all the riders, present or not, and a THANK YOU for being part of this event. Everybody is welcome, it is a celebration. I understand some might be on course and some may go home but I hope it encourages more to stick around and no matter where you are at – raise your water bottle or your glass and give a healthy shout out to the Fat Pursuit!
QUESTIONS?
Turning your pedals just a stone's throw away from Yellowstone National Park, you will be riding in tall lodgepole conifers, the historic Yellowstone fire burns and along Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.
The Fat Pursuit provides a fantastic excuse to not only achieve an outstanding accomplishment but venture beside Yellowstone National Park during the quietest time of the year.
ISLAND PARK
RACE HQ AND CHECK-IN
Trail Guarantee
ALMOST = )
How does the trail get put in and do you groom it?
Lets start by saying the routes of the event are part of a 500+mile trail system that gets groomed by the state. It's a multi million dollar program and there are big PistenBully groomers that go out each evening to groom trail. There is no set schedule as it depends on snow fall and trail usage on where they might go. Some trails get more regular trail grooming over others. The "trails" are the same as the Forest Service "roads" and the grooming is as wide as the road.
I've spent years building relationships and donate money (Thanks to Fat Pursuit!) to the Fremont County Parks and Rec that heads this program up. I put in my trail grooming requests for event weekend and have a finger on the pulse of mostly what is, has been, and will be groomed prior to the Fat Pursuit.
This area gets a lot of snow and wind that can literally shut the trail down to a snail's pace within a handful of hours. Ask veterans, they know. As an event organization we do everything we can to keep the trail "open" and keep people moving. We have learned a lot over the years and have tried all sorts of techniques to deal with unridable trails. Some were better than others. And then we found a tool that literally saved the event one year. This implement can blow a foot+ of snow off trail and get down to the existing firm service allowing a biker to start pedaling again.
After that year so many people were thankful for that implement, gave it a name, and said WOW that thing is amazing. So, we crowd funded and bought our own.
Hence, I now give the "Trail Almost Guarantee," meaning "We will do everything we can within our power with our equipment and our incredible volunteers and their equipment to give everyone the best surface of trail possible."
