VERDICT The Belgian Waffle Ride that actually lives up to its Belgian difficulty rating, where Montana's mountains separate the climbers from the pretenders.
A training plan for BWR Montana—shaped to your fitness and the hours you have.
Montana Rockies adventure—AKA 'Hell of the Bozone': mountain gravel around Bozeman, waffles at the finish.
BWR Montana ('Hell of the Bozone') founded ~2022, based in Bozeman, MT. 500-800 riders. Part of the BWR series. Montana Rockies mountain gravel around Bozeman. Founded in ~2022. By Belgian Waffle Ride series.
Reputation: BWR series. Montana Rockies, based in Bozeman. Technical mountain terrain. Well-organized. Waffles at finish.
Photo: YouTube / Goettl MediaThe 2026 Waffle registration lists 100-ish miles, and the organizer describes more than 8,000 feet of climbing over smooth tarmac, steep gravel climbs, fast descents, and rugged backcountry roads. Exact route figures vary by year.
Signature challenge: A year-variable Waffle of approximately 100 miles with more than 8,000 feet of climbing across paved and unpaved Montana mountain roads.
With 5+ miles of singletrack in the final stretch, this race is far from over at 8 miles to go. Four may enter, but who knows how many will come out. It's a lot of corners to blow.
Russell Finsterwald · 22.5K views
I think for a BWR, I was expecting it to be a little bit rougher and gnarlier, but so far it's definitely looking to be like a fast kind of road racy style race, but there are a ton of rollers, so it's definitely not going to be an easy race.
Goettl Media · 12.9K views
I look to Belgian waffle rides as events that really bring the best courses that we race on all season. They're the most encompassing of everything that I think gravel racing should be. Like you have a lot of single track out there, just challenging unroad sectors that pop up out of nowhere.
Russell Finsterwald · 22.5K views
Having gotten second at BWR Arizona and then having a decent ride in BWR California getting seventh, I come into the weekend with the lead in the series which is pretty cool. This is the final stop.
Russell Finsterwald · 22.5K views
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Historical weather data shows average highs of 86°F and lows of 57°F, with a 21% chance of rain on any given day. Flavia Oliveira Parks suffered electronic shifting failures at miles 40 and 97, getting stuck in single gears during the event. The exposed, windy sections demanded strategic racing to avoid "burning too many matches," while altitude and fast gravel conditions created additional challenges beyond pure weather. More weather exposure than Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego.[3]
Check-in and parking were excellent, with $20 camping available at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds and BZN airport minutes from downtown Bozeman. Friday check-in/expo avoids race-morning chaos, though booking early is mandatory—everything sells out for race weekend. (Note: this source's venue name has been corrected to the Bozeman fairgrounds; a prior version of this file misattributed it to a Missoula venue.)[2]
MikeMckinney encountered "a few non racer were using the trail riding against the flow" on the public singletrack, while some women's race riders faced an unexpected train stop that added four minutes. The course's exposed, windy sections and loose gravel surfaces demand real bike handling skills beyond pure fitness.[1]
Russell Finsterwald praised the course diversity: "I'm a big fan of diverse courses like that where you have to use your technical skills, have to use group dynamics and tactics." Course architect Michael Marckx noted it produced "the closest top five finish in BWR history, as only 24 seconds separated the riders."[8]
Show up if you can sustain power above 5,000 feet (the course repeatedly climbs above that line from a Bozeman start just under it) and don't mind walking your bike when the grades hit double digits. This isn't about gravel handling—it's about whether your legs can push a big gear up endless climbs while your lungs adjust to Montana altitude. Skip it if you think 8,000+ feet of elevation gain (the current organizer-stated figure; it has varied by year) sounds fun on paper.
Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.