The Governor’s Cup is an iconic race that tours the historic capitol city of Helena, Montana. Through scenic tours of the historic neighborhoods, the race route takes you along the grounds of the capital building built in 1899. The spectacular views are not only of the natural Montana landscape, but the sounds of church bells from St. Helena State Cathedral at the start line, giving runners a sense of excitement and natural adrenaline to start the race off strong. Pre and post-race festivities are in the downtown walking district of Helena, with lots of fun activities for after the race including local Mexican food, homemade ice cream, and loads of craft breweries and distilleries. Fun fact, did you know that Helena is the only capital in the United States to not have a river flowing through it? This fact is interesting because Montana has more than 30 rivers across the state, including the iconic Missouri River less than one hour north of Helena. One of the most iconic features of the run is the infamous “Cardiac Hill”. Even with training the historic hills of Butte, Montana, the “Cardiac Hill” at the Governor’s Cup is not one to be messed with. Not only does hill test your physical strength, but also more importantly it tests your mental strength while climbing this behemoth of an incline. Once reaching the top of the hill, the scenic views of the entire city of Helena are both breathtaking and refreshing as the race comes to a close. One of the best features of this race includes the community aspect that the rural state of Montana has to offer. The local Governor, Steve Bullock, not only makes a race appearance for the 5K and children racers, but he also races alongside the half-marathon or marathon runners as a participant nearly every year. Not every state has the opportunity to brag that their state politician runs alongside locals in their capital race. The Governor’s Cup provides a combination of great weather, beautiful Montana views, a historic landscape, and a race that really envelops a sense of community in the city of Helena.