Montana’s Most Ridiculous Summer Race Is Back

Listen, I don't mess around with mowing the lawn. I’m a dad. It’s in the manual. I’ve got a system, sharp blades, diagonal passes, tight stripes. They’d better be clean enough to satisfy a golf course superintendent. I don’t half-mow anything.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that here in Montana, there are grown adults who see a lawn mower and say to themselves, “Yeah, I could race that.”

And not just once. We’ve made this a kind of summer tradition.

The Wild Coyote Lawn Mower Races Are Coming Back for Summer 2025

I called the bar and confirmed it myself. Thompson Falls is resurrecting the Blade Runners Lawn Mower Races during Wild Coyote Days, the final weekend of July (25- 27th) 2025. It’s one of those “only in Montana” things where mowers become stripped down, beefed up and sent flying around a dirt track as though they were a bunch of redneck Formula 1 racecars.

Last summer, Bozeman had lawn mower racing at the Fair. It was a crowd favorite. Dirt in the air, engines roaring, and at least one Craftsman trying to pop a wheelie near the funnel cake stand.

I couldn't find any information if they plan to have one again this year. Or if any other lawn mower races were happening elsewhere. Wouldn't it be great if we had a Montana Lawn Mower Racing circuit?

While the rest of the country is taking selfies on boats, we’re watching 40-year-old dads in pit viper sunglasses blow their backs out whipping around tight corners on lawncare equipment. And honestly? That's the kind of Montana summer energy that I can get behind.