Who's ready to run or hike laps up Mt. Sentinel... in February?! Tackling air quality and climate issues is a figurative mountain of a challenge. There's no better way to start tackling those issues while building community than by climbing a literal mountain. From that concept, RUFA was born.

Running Up for Air (RUFA) Mt. Sentinel is a 3, 6, 12 or 24-hour winter endurance challenge on Mt. Sentinel (5,158 elevation), the iconic mountain on the edge of Missoula, that turns your physical effort into funding that supports clean air and local climate solutions right here in our valley.

Missoulians are lucky enough to have some of the best access to trails and wild places in the country. However, our beautiful valley is often plagued by poor air quality - from wildfire smoke in the summer and wintertime inversions, to year-long air pollution from transportation, buildings, waste management and more. Participants of RUFA Mt. Sentinel will attempt to summit the mountain as many times as possible to raise awareness and money to address air quality issues affecting our valley and home. With each registration, a fundraising page will be created on your behalf. Participants are encouraged to gather pledges from friends and family for each lap completed up the mountain.

All proceeds from this event go toClimate Smart Missoula [https://www.missoulaclimate.org/]and their efforts to improve air quality and health for all Montanans. This Missoula-based nonprofit has over 10 years of experience building and accelerating local climate solutions, from helping folks keep their indoor air clean during wildfire smoke season and planting trees, to transitioning methane-gas powered systems to efficient electric ones and going solar!

RUFA Mt. Sentinel is a part of theUp For Air Series, which states, "working for clean air is an endurance sport. Whether youre accruing vert in one of our races, volunteering your time to make our events unforgettable, donating to fuel the cause, or becoming part of our incredible family of sponsors, RUFA is all about taking action. Every contribution makes a difference, so come be a part of something special and help us breathe new life into our communities."

Let's do this!

PAST RACE PHOTOS BY ANASTASIA WILDE:

2024 [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.924154123043333&type=3], 2023 [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.664402639018484&type=3], 2022 [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10158862965308099&type=3]