Fehr, Murray run to Veterans Day titles

Moen, Kaluza win 2.5-mile race

The usual suspects claimed titles at the 89^th running of the Butte Veterans Day Race on a picture-perfect Wednesday morning. (Results)

Spencer Fehr of Anaconda ran to the men’s title for the fourth straight Veterans Day in the 5-mile race. Nichole Murray of Whitehall topped the women’s field for the ninth time in the last 10 years.

The 34-year-old Fehr beat his 2025 time by more a minute, crossing in 27 minutes, 18.8 seconds. Michael LaFrost, 45, of Missoula placed second in 28:49, and Butte High runner Jason Real, 16, placed third in 31:17.

Murray, 56, topped the women’s field with a time of 31:29 to win her 19^th Veterans Day Race. No runner has more titles.

Stephanie Kirtley, 30, placed second in 35:30, and Shaelee Novak, a former Anaconda Copperhead who is a freshman on the Montana Western cross country team, took third in 36:06.

Jeren Moen, a 16-year-old Butte High student, won the 2.5-mile race with a time of 17:11. Jonathan Kirtley took second in 20:52, and Adrian Kien finished third in 21:03.

Veteran Butte runner Suzie Kaluza won bested the female field with a time of 21:36. Shawna Gibson of Butte took second in 22:39.

In all, 75 runners competed in Montana’s oldest road race, which was created in 1934 by two World War I veterans, C. Owen Smithers and Charlie McAuliffe. The race has been held every Veterans Day except during the World War II years between 1942-45. The event is one of the oldest races held annually in the west.

For many years, the event was started and finished in the uptown business district.

The race was primarily between athletes from the three high schools in the area, the two Butte schools and Anaconda. The start/finish line venue was changed to Naranche Stadium in 1967, and it stayed there until 1975.

In 1976, the race was opened to all runners and moved to the Flats. The race started at Stodden Park and ended at the American Legion Hall near the Copper King Inn from 1985 through 2017.

Since 2018, the race starts and finishes at the new American Legion Hall on Wynne Ave.