Preparing for High Altitude

Coming off Utah 115K eight weeks earlier, Oliver Bieser entered Beaverhead 100K with a clear goal: to test himself in the mountains and prepare for his next race.

His training focused on time spent on singletrack trails, building strength through long days of climbing, technical terrain, and mountain movement. Since he had limited experience racing at altitude, he also spent the days before the race running in Montana's high desert, preparing for the 10,000+ ft of elevation ahead.

He felt ready for the challenge.

But the race quickly became something different.

A Race That Changed Early

Oliver started the day strong, running with the leaders through the opening miles and settling into the rhythm he had prepared for.

Around mile 12, he rolled his ankle badly and went down on the trail.

After getting back up, the focus shifted. The injury slowed his pace, and altitude sickness made fueling difficult. Gels that normally helped him through long races became harder to take, and his energy began to rise and fall throughout the day.

Instead of chasing the race he planned, he had to focus on managing the race in front of him.

Finding A Way Forward

The hardest moment came leaving Lemhi Pass.

By then, Oliver knew the day was not going the way he hoped. He had lost contact with the leaders, his body was struggling, and continuing felt like a bigger mental challenge than a physical one.

With encouragement from his wife, he left the aid station and kept moving.

A few miles later, his confidence started to return.

The race was still difficult, but he had found a way to keep going.

The Miles He Won't Forget

The section from miles 49–54 became one of the moments Oliver remembers most.

The trail was slow and technical, covered with large rocks that demanded patience and careful movement. It was not the fastest part of the day, but the views across Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest reminded him why he came.

Sometimes the most meaningful miles are not the ones where everything goes right.

They are the ones where you keep moving anyway.

Beyond The Result

Oliver finished Beaverhead 100K in 7th place with a time of 13:26:45.

For him, the race was less about the result and more about what it revealed.

It was the first race where things truly did not go according to plan. But instead of seeing that as failure, Oliver walked away with confidence that he could handle difficult moments, learn from mistakes, and continue pushing forward.

As Oliver puts it: "There is rarely a reason to quit."