Record 98 runners finish LeGrizz ultramarathon

A record 98 runners completed the 31st annual Le Grizz 50 Mile Ultramarathon footrace held along Hungry Horse Reservoir on Saturday, Oct. 13. Thirty-three of the starters had never run 50 miles before, and 29 of them finished.

Andy Prevost, of Great Falls, was the first Montanan and second overall, posting 6:04:09 in the men’s Open Division. Locally, Jeff Metsky, of Whitefish, came in 58th at 10:24:27, and Gary Sparr, of Columbia Falls, came in 68th at 10:24:27. Richard and Suzanne Hildner, a married couple from Whitefish, came in 71st and 91st at 10:32:43 and 12:40:47, respectively.

Overall winner was Heath Wiltse, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 5:58:45. Tor Gudmundsen, of Helena, took the Masters Division (ages 40-49) in 7:39:40, and Keith Straw of Malvern, Pa., was first in the Seniors Division (over 50) in 7:13:13.

Among the women, Jenny Pierce, of Livingston, posted 6:50:46, only the third woman in the history of the event to break seven hours. Debbie Gibson, of Helena, took first in the Masters Division in 8:05:36, and Bonnie Doerfler, of Polson, was the first Seniors runner in 8:47:20.

The Le Grizz is USA Track & Field’s 50 Mile Championship for Montana runners. The Cheetah Herders Athletic Club of Seeley Lake sponsored the event, assisted by the Kalispell Special Olympics, North Valley Search & Rescue and local volunteers. For more information, visit online at www.cheetahherders.com.

1, Heath Wiltse, 37, ID, 5:58:45, Coeur d’Alene

2, Andy Prevost, 34, 6:04:09, Great Falls

3, Jenny Pierce, 29, 6:50:46, Livingston

4, Keith Straw, 57, PA, 7:13:13, Malvern

5, Alec Sundet, 21, 7:15:49, Missoula

6, Kristina Pattison, 32, 7:19:12, Missoula

7, Kyle Thomas Cleasby, 20, 7:24:35, Helena

8, Rachel Bucklin, 34, WA, 7:34:32, Spokane

9, Tor Gudmundsen, 48, 7:39:40, Helena, 10, Tyler Bucklin, 36, 7:42:08, Conrad

11, Katie Gibson, 38, 7:43:06, Lolo

12, Eric Boswell, 43, 7:55:00, Bozeman

13, Debbie Gibson, 47, 8:05:36, Helena

14, Jessie Stokes, 23, RI, 8:10:12, Providence

15, Raymond Mullenax, 46, ID, 8:11:18, Boise

16, Eric Oravsky, 24, 8:18:34, Missoula

17, Ryann DeGraff, 30, UT, 8:21:07, Park City

18, Kevin Alldredge, 48, MN, 8:22:02, St. Paul

19, Ken Jensen, 44, UT, 8:23:45, Salt Lake City

20, Meghan Hicks, 34, UT, 8:24:18, Park City

21, Jeanne Armstrong, 37, WA, 8:28:43, Spokane

22, Ryan Snyder, 44, 8:31:04, Missoula

23, Matt Beard, 36, WA, 8:34:35, Spokane

24, Bryon Powell, 34, UT, 8:35:57, Park City

24, Beth Vitalis, 47, CA, 8:35:57, Livermore

26, Greg Kolodziejzyk, 51, AB, 8:41:41, Calgary

27, Matthew Bucklin, 33, 8:42:57, Missoula

28, Bonnie Doerfler, 57, 8:47:20, Polson

29, Cory Meacham, 27, WA, 8:49:32, Seattle

30, Kimberly Dschaak, 37, 8:49:46, Kalispell

31, Dan Graham, 31, WI, 8:53:38, Madison

32, Susie Ro, 41, WA, 8:55:08, Seattle

33, Patrick Ackley, 43, WA, 9:00:23, Renton

34, Jon Jonckers, 38, WA, 9:03:50, Spokane

35, James Derby, 48, WA, 9:11:41, Spokane

36, Bill Andrews, 60, NV, 9:15:46, Reno

37, Brian Kathol, 53, AB, 9:16:10, Calgary

38, Burket Kniveton, 28, 9:18:49, Marion

39, Hayley Brager, 30, 9:19:00, Missoula

40, Derek Snelling, 42, OR, 9:32:48, Eugene

41, Trent Beachy, 29, CO, 9:33:08, Golden

42, Tanya Connole, 39, WA, 9:35:46, Greenacres

43, Richard Dingman, 63, WY, 9:37:50, Dubois

44, Christopher Dingman, 30, WY, 9:37:51, Dubois

45, Patty Spencer, 52, AB, 9:39:43, Calgary

46, Wallace Thrall, 61, ID, 9:39:51, Driggs

47, Kim Davidson, 52, ID, 9:40:21, Coeur d’Alene

48, Martin Miller, 60, 9:40:58, Helena

49, Chad Fisher, 42, ID, 9:45:16, Boise

50, Mark Hartinger, 55, WA, 9:48:44, Shoreline

51, Alyshia Drake, 38, CA, 9:48:56, Ione

52, Jay Loveland, 32, ID, 9:50:31, Coeur d’Alene

53, Steve Curry, 38, WY, 9:50:36, Gilette

53, Bob Edwards, 55, CO, 9:50:36, Denver

55, Stuart White, 65, OR, 9:55:27, Portland

56, Jeff Burgess, 38, ID, 10:01:59, Coeur d’Alene

57, Nate Bender, 24, 10:05:03, Hamilton

58, Jeff Metsky, 31, 10:07:12, Whitefish

59, Brian Rossmann, 44, 10:11:25, Bozeman

60, Jane MacDonald, 46, 10:11:28, Great Falls

61, Al Harman, 51, BC, 10:17:38, West Vancouver

62, Mathieu Ludlow, 33, SK, 10:18:20, Regina

63, John Morelock, 70, WA, 10:19:16, Coupeville

64, Jennifer Patterson, 41, AZ, 10:20:59, Mesa

65, Danielle Coffman, 37, 10:21:16, Kalispell

66, Francine Weigeldt, 55, BC, 10:21:58, Rossland

67, Mark Dahlby, 48, WA, 10:22:50, Tacoma

68, Gary Sparr, 63, 10:24:27, Columbia Falls

69, Krista Oge Kober, 32, 10:30:14, Whitefish

70, Joseph McDonald, 59, UT, 10:30:40, Salt Lake City

71, Richard Hildner, 66, 10:32:43, Whitefish

72, Christopher Leavey, 42, 10:34:20, Great Falls

73, Kyle Pease, 21, 10:40:27, Missoula

74, Jeb Owen, 38, WA, 10:47:14, Pullman

75, Jeff Montalto, 42, WI, 10:54:35, Madison

76, Rick Hartman, 41, 11:04:51, Bozeman

77, Matt Glew, 33, WA, 11:10:39, Newcastle

77, Laura Johnson, 49, WA, 11:10:39, Vashon

79, Jill Pennington, 30, 11:31:48, Gallatin Gateway

80, Kathie Lang, 63, OR, 11:43:33, Klamath Falls

80, Jim Ballard, 62, OR, 11:43:33, Klamath Falls

82, Jane Schroeder, 37, 11:44:38, Great Falls

83, Charles Steele, 57, 11:46:06, Bozeman

84, Rebecca Shaw, 48, 11:56:38, Helena

85, Steven Thomas, 66, WA, 12:12:28, Sammamish

86, Cameron Gehrman, 20, 12:16:44, Bozeman

87, Tim Marchant, 54, 12:21:54, St. Ignatius

88, Peggy Gaudet, 43, ID, 12:25:21, Hope

89, Trish Butler, 44, ID, 12:25:22, Hope

90, Max Welker, 70, WA, 12:32:56, Tacoma

91, Suzanne Hildner, 57, 12:40:47, Whitefish

92, Frederick Davis, 64, OH, 13:13:17, Cleveland

93, Sue Ellen Andrish, 69, OH, 13:20:28, Orange Valley

93, Jack Andrish, 68, OH, 13:20:28, Orange Village

95, Mike Otterberg, 67, 13:24:54, Fort Peck

96, Mike Mustari, 64, WA, 13:36:13, Edmonds

97, Joan Van Arsdale, 44, 16:30:00, Billings

97, Amy McManus, 47, 16:30:00, Billings,