Heber City’s ultra-runner Ben Light will be running a 300-mile fundraiser beginning on Monday, July 20, 2020. Light, along with fellow ultra-runners Michael McKnight and Dax Hock, created the route after runs have been canceled or postponed due to COVID concerns. The new route connects the two Utah ultra-marathons through miles of Bear River and Wasatch mountain land. The trio has named the new route the “Utah BRAWL 300,” as an acronym for “Bear River and Wasatch Linkup.”
The journey will begin near Bear Lake at Fish Haven, Idaho, and will continue through the Bear River Range. The runners will pass through Logan, Utah. They will then run across Cache Valley to the Wasatch Mountains north of Ogden, where they will continue to run south. They will end their 300-mile journey in the Wasatch Back at Soldier Hollow in Midway.
Along with creating the new route, the three athletes are also raising money for fellow Utah triathlete Austin Patten. While training on his bike for an Ironman competition, Patten was hit by a car and left paralyzed from the waist down. The accident occurred less than a year ago, in August 2019, and Patten has already begun training again to compete in the full Ironman, this time as a para-athlete. Funds raised by Utah BRAWL 300 supporters will be used to purchase a required para-triathlete racing wheelchair and also to provide specialized coaching for Patten. Donations in support of this event can be made at https://www.facebook.com/donate/560528747975779/?fundraiser_source=external_url.
The Utah BRAWL 300 was created to help a friend achieve his dream. However, the unanticipated event may continue to blaze a new trail for future ultra-runners in the Heber Valley and elsewhere.
