07/28/2026
It is with heavy hearts that the 2026 Steens Rim Run & Walk will be cancelled this year due to the ongoing wildfires in the local area. The BLM has nobody available to help staff the race as all personnel are being made available to assist with fire suppression activities. In addition, the highways are currently closed coming into Burns and down to Frenchglen - no idea when they will re-open or if they open when they could close again. Lastly, the current and expected air quality is at unhealthy to hazardous levels. I know there is no way to predict what it will be like on race day, but for the past few days smoke conditions have been very poor, especially in the mornings to mid afternoon and the fires in the area are still actively growing with containment unlikely to occur within the next two weeks. All of the fires in the general area have also made it extremely difficult to secure logistical support for the race including ambulance service, BLM staff, and even toilet rental. This will only be the 3rd time in the 40+ year history of the race that this event will have been cancelled, but 2 out of the last 3 years, and it upsets me as much as anybody. I promise 2027 will be better than ever and I hope to see you all up on the mountain next year.
