Course
Montana Cup Course Map 2026
MT Cup XXXIII Course Map (Coming Soon.).
Montana Cup 2026
- Date
- Saturday, October 31, 2026
- Start time
- 12:00 PM start (Denver)
- Location
- Billings, Montana
- Entry fee
- From $30
- Fundraising
- Takes optional donations when you register
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Events and entry fees
| Event | Distance | When | Entry fee | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women Age 39 and under (included in overall results) | 5K | Oct 31, 202612:00 PM | $30 | – |
| Women Age 40 + (still included in overall results) | 5K | Oct 31, 202612:00 PM | $30 | – |
| Men Age 39 and under (included in overall results) | 5K | Oct 31, 20261:00 PM | $30 | – |
| Men Age 40 + (still included in overall results) | 5K | Oct 31, 20261:00 PM | $30 | – |
Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.
Race day planning
Entry fee schedule
- $30 until Oct 30.
Online registration closes Oct 30, 2026, unless the race fills first.
How the price compares
At $30, entry is about the same as a typical 5K in Montana ($30).
What a typical finish looks like
A typical finisher at a 5K in Billings runs 36:48, about 11:51 a mile, based on 12 races with published results. Women typically finish in 41:08 and men in 32:39.
Light and altitude
Sunrise on race morning is at about 7:51 AM, and the Women Age 39 and under (included in overall results) starts at 12:00 PM. The start sits about 3,280 feet above sea level.
Fees exclude processing fees. Comparisons use current entry fees and published results from races nearby.
Start location and course
2531 Mary St, Billings, MT 59105
The pin marks the address the race lists, which is usually the start. The organizers have not shared a course map with us yet.
2025 results
All results (4 years)Men Age 40 + (still included in overall results)
139
finishers
19:40
median (6:20 /mi)
15:32
winning time
–
women / men
Women Age 40 + (still included in overall results)
81
finishers
23:37
median (7:36 /mi)
17:03
winning time
100% / 0%
women / men
Aggregated from official results (Competitive Timing) for Montana Cup. Individual finisher names are not stored here.
How fast do you need to be at Montana Cup?
At the 2025 Men Age 40 + (still included in overall results), the fastest tenth finished in 17:04 or better, the top quarter in 18:05, and half the field in 19:40; the last tenth came in after 27:08.
At the 2025 Women Age 40 + (still included in overall results), the fastest tenth finished in 20:22 or better, the top quarter in 21:50, and half the field in 23:37; the last tenth came in after 29:55.
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | n/a | 17:45 |
| 20-29 | n/a | 16:51 |
| 30-39 | n/a | 16:12 |
| 40-49 | n/a | 18:16 |
| 50-59 | n/a | 19:16 |
| 60-69 | n/a | 26:03 |
| 70+ | n/a | 28:02 |
Groups with fewer than five finishers are left out. Awards vary by race; check the race's rules.
What would my time get me?
Where a finish time would have placed in 2025.
Finishers by year
Up 6 percent since 2021.
208
2021
231
2022
272
2024
220
2025
All events combined, from official results.
Montana Cup 5K year by year
From 2024 to 2025, the field went from 143 to 139 finishers, and the median time dropped from 21:04 to 19:40.
| Year | Finishers | Median | Fastest tenth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 139 (-3%) | 19:40 | under 17:04 | 15:32 |
| 2024 | 143 | 21:04 | under 17:38 | 16:36 |
From each year's official results for the 5K; virtual options are left out.
How fast is it?
Faster than most Montana 5Ks
The fastest quarter of the 2025 5K field finished under 18:05, against 28:50 in a typical Montana 5K, so times here run 37 percent faster.
- 8K: Faster than most US 8Ks. The fastest quarter of the 2021 8K field finished under 27:52, against 42:05 in a typical US 8K, so times here run 34 percent faster.
Compares the fastest quarter of each field, so walkers and first-timers do not skew it. It reflects the course and the field together: a flat course, cool weather, or a competitive crowd all make times faster.
Typical race-day weather
Around October 31 the day usually runs from 34°F at dawn to 54°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 8% of days. Cold snaps dip to 21°F and hot years reach 66°F.
Based on 75 days within a week of the date over the last 5 years, from historical weather for the start area. Not a forecast.
From the race's page
What the organizers of Montana Cup cover on their registration page, in brief.
Rules and FAQ
Rules
1) In 2026, the venue is the John H. Dover Memorial Park in Billings MT. 2) All participants are required to wear an official team jersey. In 2024, we transitioned from "everybody purchases a MT Cup jersey" to "everyone wears a MT Cup…
Race details
- Where
- 2531 Mary St, Billings, MT 59105Map
- Course
- Road
- Start elevation
- About 3,280 feet
- Donations
- Accepted when you register
- Distances
- 5K
- Editions
- 2026 (Oct 31, 2026), 2025 (Nov 1, 2025), 2024 (Nov 2, 2024), 2023 (Oct 28, 2023), 2022 (Oct 29, 2022), 2021 (Oct 31, 2021)
Organize this race? Add details or a correction
Plan your race
Quick answers
- When is Montana Cup?
- Saturday, October 31, 2026, starting at 12:00 PM.
- How much does it cost?
- Entry starts at $30 before processing fees.
- When does registration close?
- Online registration closes Oct 30, 2026, unless the race fills first.
- Is the entry fee high for Montana?
- At $30, entry is about the same as a typical 5K in Montana ($30).
- Can I donate to a cause when I register?
- Yes. The registration form offers an optional donation, usually for the charity or nonprofit the race supports. The race's own page names the cause.
- What distances can I run?
- 5K.
- How big is it, and how fast?
- In 2025, 139 runners finished the Men Age 40 + (still included in overall results); the median finish was 19:40 and the winner ran 15:32.
- Is it a fast course?
- The fastest quarter of the 2025 5K field finished under 18:05, against 28:50 in a typical Montana 5K, so times here run 37 percent faster.
- Where does it start?
- 2531 Mary St, Billings, MT 59105.
From the organizers
The Montana Cup cross-country meet offers an exploration of Montana’s magnificent open spaces. It is not a road race, nor is it an ultra-endurance trail run; it's a team event, which brings together runners from all of Montana’s regions for competition, racing across country, for the glory of claiming a “traveling trophy” – the Montana Cup.
The Montana Cup’s underlying mission is to unite the state’s widespread runners & running communities, to foster continued training & racing among Montana runners of all ages, and to leave each participant thinking ... "that course was excellent, exciting & beautiful!"
Registration ends at noon on Friday, October 30th. There is no race day registration.
RACE DAY SCHEDULE (2026)
10:30 Check-in / packet-pickup opens