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| 5 time Big Sky Conference Champion, Casey Jermyn. Photo: unknown |
I remember years ago I was working with Anders, and
we were cleaning out a rental property of Tim’s. After that fun filled day, I knew I would
never be a professional mover! That was the was first thought of opening a running store.
We were more having fun and dreaming big. I didn’t put much more thought into it as I was
focused on running in high school and into college. Anders was a little quicker to pull the
trigger, and RE was born not much later J. I worked at the Runners Edge over the years,
and had always really enjoyed it. I knew
if something ever would become possible, I would try and make it work. A few years after college I was working in
the industry as a Brooks Sales Representative and an opportunity was available
with the sale of the old Fleet Feet Bozeman store. It was really a circumstance of being in the
right place at the right time, really.
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| Casey on right in blue shirt enjoying time with running friends. Photo: Unknown |
We just recently finished up the Cross Cut 15K
& 25K Trail Race that was hosted at Bridger Bowl Ski Area this past
weekend. It’s a fun trail run that has
its fair share of climbing. It’s mostly
single track trails, but not overly technical.
After the race we host a catered pulled pork sandwich lunch with local
Bozeman Amber beer. In Bozeman we have a
phenomenal trail community, and we just enjoy bringing them together. With all of our events we are trying to
really focus on more than just putting a race together. We are trying to create a fun atmosphere that
allows our running community to really bond.
www.crosscutrun.com
Our film night series is hosted two times a
year. The first being in February and
the second being in early August. We
look for unique films to show and try and get as much local flavor as
possible. They have been well attended
and this next film night scheduled for August 3rd (the night of the
Bite of Bozeman), will feature The Hard Way featuring Ultra Runner Bob Hayes. They are fun nights that we look to use to
help build the trail running community here in the Bozeman area.
The Bangtail Divide 38K is a great point to point trail
run along the Bangtail Divide Mountain Range.
The majority of the race is run on a single track trail with spectacular
views of the Bridger, Crazy, and Absaroka mountain ranges. www.bangtaildivide.com
The Bozeman Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, &
5K
This is a road race that we host in early
Fall. The course is a point to point run
starting South of town and finishing downtown Bozeman on Main Street. The views are tremendous along the entire
course, and the weather that time of year is really great. Both courses are fairly fast and produce some
nice times as well.
It is kind of in a way a great end of season event
for us. We have grown this Marathon and
Half Marathon quite a bit over the past few years and are excited to keeping
adding great events around the weekend. www.bozemanmarathon.com
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| Casey racing 11 Miles to Paradise near his hometown in Plains. Photo: Myke Hermsmeyer |
How do you cultivate passion and enthusiasm for trail
running?
Trail running as a sport is currently seeing some
great growth, and the same holds true to the Bozeman area. We have really made an effort in the past
couple of years to introduce some exciting events around the sport itself.
The first thing we have done has been introducing
some shorter trail races. With this
runners that think they might want to try trail running have options other than
the long traditional Ultras. We have
started various trail runs that range from 12K to 25K. With these races we have worked hard to not
just host a race, but put together a fun event that folks really enjoy.
We have also put together film nights that focus on
trail running. We try and feature some
of the films that have a more local flavor.
We feel this really connects people with the films they are watching.
We also host many fun trail runs throughout the
summer months. We really use this to
introduce people to new trails in our area, and in hope that this will get them
to enjoy more trail running beyond our normal group runs.
How could you describe yourself
in 5 words?
In five words I would say that I am outgoing, funny, driven, dependable,
and a little bit of a workaholic J.
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I think if you think about the future of trail running, things seem
really bright. I don’t see the sport
slowing down. I think that people will
see more events, explore more trails, and continue to push boundaries. You see many people who have never even run
the marathon distance, but try their hand in an Ultra distance (myself
included).
I feel like once people try trail running, they become hooked and
naturally recruit their friends. I mean
if you think about it, what’s not to love?
I think the biggest challenge will be race organizers being able to keep
up with the demand of the sport. Many
trail races are limited by permits that only allow so many participants. I feel this is why we will continue to see
more and more events.
Absolutely. I think
preserving and protecting what we have is a major key role that all of us need
to participate in. Supporting
organizations like the GVLT (Gallatin Valley Land Trust) is a major focus for
us at BRC.
The Forest Service in a lot
of instances limits where you can host events, and limits the number of
participants. I agree with this approach
and we have to remember to make sure we are doing our part so people that come
long after us have the same trails and open space to enjoy that we have.
One major way that we can
help ensure the preservation of trails and open spaces is to first make sure we
are leaving the areas that we use exactly the way we found them.
Also, by giving back to the
great organizations that work hard to keep acquiring land and open spaces.
What is your vision for Bozeman
Running Company for the next 5 to 10 years?
The first six years for BRC
have gone by quickly, and I have a feeling I will be saying the same about the
next 5-10 years. I would hope that in
the next 5 years in Bozeman we would become the focal point of all things
running. We would still be working with
many different non-profits in the area and giving back to the local community.
What have you done that you are most proud to have
achieved?
I would say to date I am most
proud of what the BRC staff has accomplished in the running community of
Bozeman. I feel like we have really helped
build a strong and connected running community through many races, events, and
community outreach.
Thank you, Casey for creating opportunities for runners. Your enthusiasm,
hard work and passion for running is connecting and transforming the running
community in Montana.
Nicole
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