Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb Race

Teton Regional Land Trust is excited to announce the 13th Wrun for Wray race at 10am on Saturday, June 28 at Grand Targhee Resort in honor of Wray Landon IV, an avid adventurer and naturalist, who was a Land Steward at Teton Regional Land Trust before his death in 2010 in a skiing accident.  

Lani and Wray Landon III, Wray’s parents, have helped organize the race since 2011 after its inaugural year, when Jay and Lisa Batchen, owners of a local run shop who trained with Wray, started the race and named it after him. “Wray sure would have loved this Wrun,” beamed Lani. 

All funds raised at Wrun for Wray go towards the Wray Landon Legacy Fund (WLLF) at Teton Regional Land Trust, which supports projects that Wray himself would have enjoyed. To date, more than $265,000 has been raised for the WLLF, and funds have been used for summer intern positions, land protection projects, fence removals, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration, the Teton Basin Trumpeter Swan Project, and the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative, among many other projects. 

Grand Targhee Resort and its Special Events Manager, Tony Ferlisi, have taken on a much larger role in this year’s race. Not only are they providing the stunning location for the race, but also many of the prizes, registration and timing, all the logistics of putting on a race, and the food. “The cause is important to us and it’s a great kickoff to the summer season. We have the skills and team to facilitate an event like this and take the burden off the Landons and the Land Trust so that they can focus on the cause,” explained Tony. “We love putting on events and want to continue to celebrate Wray’s legacy.” 

Wray and Lani appreciatively expressed, “We are pleased to be working closely with Grand Targhee Resort and Teton Regional Land Trust again this year on the Wrun for Wray Targhee Hill Climb. We look forward to seeing some familiar faces, maybe some old friends of Wray’s and ours and anyone else looking for a wrun or walk up to the top of Fred’s Mountain followed by a great time on the Plaza. Hope to see you there on Saturday!” 

We would also like to thank the other sponsors of the race, Broulim’s, Peaked Sports, Teton Valley Health, Cottonwood Dental, Athletic Brewing, AlphaGraphics, Yostmark, and Roadhouse Brewing for their support.  

We hope you will join the Land Trust, Grand Targhee Resort, and the Landons on June 28 for a 10am start time at the Wrun for Wray. Runners and walkers are welcome to join in the fun. The first 100 entries receive a one of a kind Wrun for Wray hat. Stay after the race for complimentary snacks and drinks from race sponsors, door prize raffle, race winner announcements, or to peruse sponsor booths. To learn more and register for the Wrun, please visit the event page.