CLANCY -- More than two dozen athletes tested their physical stamina and mental fortitude Saturday in the Hurl Elkhorn Mountains Endurance Run.

The race, which offers both a 50-kilometer and 50-mile cross-country dash through the Elkhorn range, has been described by running magazines as one of the toughest ultras in country.

As the athletes passed through the Teepee Creek aid station, filling their water bottles before disappearing back into the piney forest, Fred Robinson and amateur radio operator Sam Martinez set up a high frequency radio for emergencies.

Robinson, who helped string the antennae, ran the 100k version (68 miles) of the Elkhorn race before it was changed to a 50-mile event in 2005. It is, he admitted, a tough course.

"It's a lot of uphill and a lot of downhill," Robinson said. "But what makes this race different from the other ultras is the trails. These are real mountain trails."

The Elkhorn range runs a jagged line across the horizon and marks the point where runners -- on those twisting mountain trails -- must eventually cross. The Teepee Creek aid station itself sits in the shadow of Casey Peak, which rises ghostly in the smoky haze above.

Shelley McKenna and Audra Zacherl, along with several other volunteers, made the two-mile hike to the Teepee Creek station Friday night to support the runners with food and water, and whatever else they might need.

"Some of them ask for boiled potatoes," said Zacherl, placing out a bag of spuds. "Others swallow these Endurolyte tablets by the handful."

Shane Klippenes, a firefighter from Great Falls, ran the 50k through the Elkhorns last year, and said the aid stations go far in helping runners focus on conquering the course.

While a shoulder injury kept Klippenes from competing in this year's event, he still made the trek to the Teepee Creek station to cheer on Jason "The Running Game Warden" Snyder.

"You're already conditioned well enough to do it," Klippenes said. "As long as you can keep your mind in it, you can do it."

Saturday's weather saw temperatures in the lower 90s. As the morning shadows drew back, Bill Ramsey, a Helena paramedic and tri-athlete, appeared at the station on a mountain bike towing a bucket of medical supplies.

Before the race, he said, the Elkhorn Search and Rescue team made plans with paramedics to evacuate injured runners if necessary.

"The point of the aid station is to intercept some of the problems before they start," said Ramsey. "Most of these guys have been running long enough to know when to stop."

The runners appeared one by one at the station starting after 9 a.m. None stayed more than a moment, pausing only to fill a water bottle, or quickly down an energy snack and keep going.

Getting through the course, according to Robinson, is simply mind over matter. Being in the best shape of your life certainly doesn't hurt.

"You just got to keep going," Robinson said. "You just got to keep telling yourself that if you keep going, you'll make it."

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or at mkidston@helenair.com.