The Bear 100 is a hundred-mile foot race that begins in Logan and ends at Bear Lake. As with any endurance sport, it’s important to make sure race participants are kept safe, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You don’t want to be the person that lets things slip and someone ends up getting sick from participating,” said Chase Andeson who oversaw Aide Station 11 with his friend Tyler Ried.
“You always have to do a face mask, you have to take precautions that way. We were sanitizing more and just being cognizant of everyone around us,” Ried said. “There were definitely things that were different because of COVID.”
And while those elements of the race were different from past years, some of the biggest challenges they faced at the aid station weren’t related to the coronavirus at all.
“One second I have one guy that’s very hypothermic and we ended up having to end him off in a razor down to the other side where there was someone who could take care him.” Ried said. “We have that going on and then a couple hours later you have another guy come up (who is) running shirtless (and) feeling good.”
Despite some of the difficulties, Anderson said the event was positive overall.
"Seeing these people come through, you know, they’re in all in kind of a different situations, but to be a part of helping them finish, or at least get through your station, that's something that stands out to me and is the reason that I want to keep coming back,” Anderson said.
“I love the Bear,” Ried said. “I love to go and help do the Bear. It’s something I look forward to every year. There is something about going through all of that and working together, there is definitely a bonding that happens there.”
