Day 492 – US – Montana [Park City to Billings]


09/08/21

40km

  From Park City (Montana) to Billings (Montana)

North America


A great morning, a fast run and on to a rest day in Billings, largest city in Montana

Clear skies in the morning, smoke-free

I was a bit anxious last night. With the nearest fire about 20 miles away (west), the wind blowing strongly (a west wind) and evacuation orders underway… Luckily the wind died overnight, a cold front came in and rain washed over the area at dawn. It was perfect, cool and clear as I hit the door in the morning. I could enjoy my surroundings and peacefully move on to Billings, a safe place surely.

Into Yellowstone County I run

I crossed into Yellowstone County and I could see a shift in my surroundings. More agricultural activities. More urban areas, centre of activities and life. A bit of history here. Billings was named after Frederick Billings, President of the Northern Pacific Railway. Within a month of it being founded, 2000 buildings sprung up as if by magic. Hence the city’s nickname of “Magic City”. Like many of the towns I run by, it seems to be mostly organised around the train station only. Though Billings has developed a real economy of its own, unlike the many small towns I run by.

Old farm… still standing up somehow!

I am now in Billings. It was a big milestone in my plan as I was preparing all the stage-by-stage details of the journey. It feels really good to be here, the largest city of this huge state of Montana. I have all day tomorrow to go explore the city. From Billings to Miles City (my next “rest-day city”) is a challenging stretch logistically speaking. Long distances without accommodations or camping grounds. I had to reach out to local communities. I am counting on them to carry me safely through the next 300km or so! I am extremely grateful for all the people I meet along the way, the connections I make and the help I receive.

PS: after 2 weeks running over 1000m of elevation, I come down for the first time below the 1000m mark.

Check out today’s flyover video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vMq5WW1PB8O



Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: