State Summer Games

For one final summer, Billings once again became the home of the Special Olympics Montana State Summer Games, closing out an incredible three-year run before the Games rotate on to their next host city. And fittingly, it all wrapped up where it began.

Back in 1970, Billings hosted the very first Montana State Summer Games, welcoming roughly 400 athletes from across the state for a mostly Track & Field competition. Fast forward to 2026, and the growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. This year, 1,202 athletes, joined by 430 coaches and team volunteers, filled the Magic City with energy, competition, and celebration over three unforgettable days.

Athletes competed in seven sports, including Track & Field, Cycling, Swimming, Gymnastics, Bocce, Soccer, and Golf, with venues spread across the community at Rocky Mountain College, MSU Billings, Magic City Gymnastics, MetraPark, Lockwood High School, and the Par 3 Golf Course. Over the past three years, participation in the Games has grown by nearly 10% annually, reflecting both quality competition and the overwhelming support from the Billings community.

That support showed up everywhere. More than 30 local leaders have spent the last three years meeting month after month alongside our staff to plan and organize the Games, while 53 sponsors from around the state helped make it all possible. Volunteers, businesses, schools, and community partners all played a role in creating an experience that athletes and families will remember for years to come.

The impact stretched well beyond competition venues. During the Billings run, the Games generated more than 1,100 hotel room nights and over 11,000 restaurant meals each year, contributing more than $1.7 million in economic impact to the community over the past three years. Not bad for a three-day event that didn’t feature a Cat or Griz mascot.

More importantly, the Games became part of the kick-off of summer in Billings. The Games brought people together, created lasting friendships, and reminded everyone what can happen when a community fully shows up for its athletes.

Now, the torch passes to Missoula for the next three years. But Billings leaves behind a legacy that stretches all the way back to 1970 and will wait patiently for the Games’ return in 2036.

And somehow, despite the long days, weather forecasts checked obsessively every 12 minutes, and enough volunteer radios to launch a small airport, those years went by pretty fast.