Whitefish’s annual gravel cycling race was cancelled last week due to challenges with safety on sections of the course that had deteriorated, race officials said.  

The seventh annual Last Best Ride was set to take place July 26 with several hundred participants signed up to ride either a 48-mile or 91-mile course up Werner Peak and Big Mountain.  

"This year’s decision came from a place of responsibility, not convenience," said Brian Grubb, race director. "We cared too much about this event and our community to deliver something that fell short of our expectations." 

The Last Best Ride is an entirely volunteer-run event, with all proceeds supporting the Barbara Mansfield Champion Scholar Award. 

The race planning process is complex, starting in September and running until the race takes off.  

According to Grubb, by June it looked like course changes would be required, and by July the "puzzle pieces didn't fit together.” 

"Within each permit with each agency ... you attach a safety plan, and ours is extremely comprehensive, because our goal is to make sure that no rider gets injured," Grubb said. "We say, these are the controls we have, and we want to confidently say we can administer those.  

"There's a couple of washout areas on portions of the course that have gotten significantly worse. There's one in Trumbull Creek, and there's a couple of descents that have been worn.  

"There's logging up on Taylor Creek and the DNRC is doing work on Upper Whitefish Road."  

"Candidly, cyclists can go around these things. But nonetheless, we look at the bigger picture, and if we have enough people that we can confidently rely upon to make sure we deliver a safe experience."  

Grubb said the board looked at alternatives, but adjustments to course operations and race-day logistics would have been too challenging to meet safety protocols that would meet both the permits and their standards.   

Grubb said every agency and partner expressed support for future renditions of the event.  

Collaborators include the Forest Service, Montana DNRC, the city of Whitefish, Flathead County, F.H. Stoltze, Montana Department of Transportation, Whitefish Mountain Resort, BNSF Railway and numerous private landowners. 

"The amount of local community businesses that were willing to participate with in-kind support was unprecedented," Grubb said. "It's what makes this special, is that everyone wants to participate."  

Grubb said many who planned to travel for the event did so anyway, making the most of the area and still partaking in local meetups.  

Grubb describes riding the course himself as "wonderland, in this solitude moment."  

When his daughter joined him for the short course one year, "It was the best four hours of my life," he said. "There's so many of those stories, of people seeing and doing things that haven't before."  

That sense of personal accomplishment goes back to the heart of the race, the Barbara Mansfield Scholar Award, which provides scholarships for women pursuing higher education.  

Organizers remain committed to the race mission, despite the cancellation. The Last Best Ride board is providing $23,000 in scholarships to eight young women across four local schools.  

Since its inception, the event has given $153,000 in scholarships to nearly 40 students. 

Grubb said the future of the race is unknown, but continuing to support the scholarship will be a priority.  

Grubb has been involved with the race since the beginning, assisting in forming and maintaining it as a nonprofit. 

In 2024, Jess Cerra and Stella Hobbes co-directed the race. Due to a heavy workload, the nonprofit board transitioned leadership to MTCX, a Missoula-based cycling company in 2025. 

This year, Grubb stepped up to direct the race. 

According to Grubb, the organization remains committed to ensuring The Last Best Ride isn't the last. 

Editor Kelsey Evans can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.