Gaiser wins seniors division in Le Grizz run
A record 99 runners out of 103 starters completed the 32nd Le Grizz 50-Mile Ultramarathon foot race on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Columbia Falls High School principal Scott Gaiser of Kalispell was first in the Seniors Division (over 50 years old), posting 6:55:45. This was his second time in the Le Grizz, and he came in seventh overall.
Columbia Falls runners included Mark Foust, 16th, in 7:55:08; Mark Tarr, 22nd, in 8:19:10; Kellly Hamilton, 41st, in 9:35:21; Annie Gustafson, 65th, in 10:12:08; and Gary Sparr, 71st, in 10:32:18.
This was Tarr’s 21st running of the Le Grizz, which he has won 13 times.
Overall winner was Andy Prevost of Great Falls in 6:24:10. Jed Rogers of Missoula took second in 6:25:34. Martin Hack of Rockhampton, Australia, took the Masters Division (40-49 years old) in 6:47:57.
Among the women, Masters runner Debbie Gibson of Helena was the overall winner in 7:17:56. Rachel Bucklin of Spokane, Wash. posted 8:00:31 to take the Open Division. Barbara Brown of Sandpoint, Idaho, in her first 50 mile completion, won the Seniors Division in 9:41:34.
Prevost won the men’s Open Division, and Kelli Swanson of Helena was the first woman in 8:49:50. Masters winners were Tor Gudmundsen of Helena (6:56:10) and Gibson.
This year’s run was held in the North Fork, beginning and ending in Polebridge, after the Forest Service permit for the usual Hungry Horse Reservoir course was canceled due to the federal funding shutdown.
Mike Mustari of Edmonds, Wash., was awarded the 10 Bears award, a plaque clock for completion of 10 Le Grizz runs.
The Chief 10 Bears Lifetime Achievement Award was presented for completion of 20 Le Grizz runs to Jim Ballard of Klamath Falls, Ore.
Le Grizz is USA Track & Field’s 50 Mile Championship for Montana runners. Thirty-six of the starters had never run 50 miles before, and 35 of them finished.
The Cheetah Herders Athletic Club of Seeley Lake sponsored the event, assisted by the Kalispell Special Olympics, North Valley Search & Rescue, Polebridge Mercantile and local volunteers. For more information, visit online at www.cheetahherders.com.
Results:
1 Andy Prevost 35 6:24:10 Great Falls
2 Jedediah Rogers 34 6:25:34 Missoula
3 Heath Wiltse 38 ID 6:29:58 Coeur d’Alene
4 Jesse Langner 31 6:45:10 Bozeman
5 Martin Hack 42 AUS 6:47:57 Rockhampton
6 Jeff Rome 24 6:53:56 Livingston
7 Scott Gaiser 51 6:55:45 Kalispell
8 Tor Gudmundsen 49 6:56:10 Helena
9 Benjamin Bucklin 35 WA 7:13:01 Spokane
10 Jason Carter 40 ID 7:15:35 Eagle
11 Debbie Gibson 48 7:17:56 Helena
12 Tyler Bucklin 37 7:30:31 Conrad
13 Kevin Plumage 44 7:39:38 Missoula
14 Austin Allen 32 7:50:20 St. Ignatius
14 Bryan Johnson 37 7:50:20 Helena
16 Mark Foust 47 7:55:08 Columbia Falls
17 George Erickson 39 7:55:33 Missoula
18 Rachel Bucklin 35 WA 8:00:31 Spokane
19 Patrick Lupton 40 8:10:55 Bozeman
20 Kevin Davis 42 8:15:06 Livingston
21 Erica Swanson 40 8:15:49 Helena
22 Mark Tarr 51 8:19:10 Columbia Falls
23 Matt Beard 37 WA 8:19:35 Spokane
24 Michele Anderson 44 8:20:22 Livingston
25 Andrew Matulionis 48 8:22:08 Whitefish
26 Tom Halverson 53 8:24:46 Missoula
27 Aaron Moss 36 WA 8:26:48 Bothell
28 Ben Venter 30 8:34:29 Bozeman
29 Craig Urton 46 AB 8:34:34 Edmonton
30 Christopher Dingman 31 WY 8:39:35 Dubois
30 Nathan Travers Smith 38 AB 8:39:35 Cardston
32 Johanna Blanchard 29 OR 8:40:40 Klamath Falls
33 Matthew Bucklin 34 8:42:06 Missoula
34 Mario Festival 59 AB 8:43:59 Calgary
35 John Cushma 39 GA 8:47:06 Norcross
36 Kelli Swanson 36 8:49:50 Helena
36 Amanda Steichen 34 8:49:50 Helena
38 Maggie Keating 31 8:51:39 Missoula
39 Anne Johnson 49 AK 8:52:19 Juneau
40 Gary Williams 46 AB 9:07:58 Calgary
41 Joseph Peters 28 WA 9:10:37 Spokane
42 Robert Glass 28 CA 9:17:00 Kensington
43 Chris Bergman 42 9:19:09 Missoula
44 Chris Owens 50 OR 9:19:21 Dallas
45 Stacy Trosine 37 WA 9:22:10 Colbert
46 Craig Stahl 45 UT 9:26:03 Providence
47 Richard Dingman 64 WY 9:27:52 Dubois
48 Chris Purvis 22 VA 9:30:32 Fredericksburg
49 Jeff Burgess 39 ID 9:32:01 Coeur d’Alene
50 Kelly Hamilton 41 9:35:21 Columbia Falls
51 Barbara Brown 55 ID 9:41:34 Sandpoint
52 Jeff Metsky 32 9:43:10 Whitefish
53 Chad Fisher 43 ID 9:47:24 Boise
54 Gunhild Swanson 69 WA 9:47:44 Spokane Valley
55 Mickael Rose 29 BC 9:48:19 Burnaby
56 Alex Rykken 28 MN 9:48:35 St. Paul
57 Angela Smith 44 9:49:38 Billings
58 Bill Travis 65 ID 9:54:05 Coeur d’Alene
59 Tara McGovern 27 9:59:25 Kalispell
60 Cameron Gehrman 21 10:00:12 Bozeman
61 Charlo Brandon Crumpacker 31 WA 10:03:03 Wenatchee
62 Aaric Bryan 38 10:07:38 Missoula
63 Brian Kathol 54 AB 10:07:48 Calgary
64 Samantha Forrest 22 10:09:14 Bozeman
65 Annie Gustafson 30 10:12:08 Columbia Falls
66 Sarah Caffrey 27 10:19:00 Missoula
67 James Derby 49 WA 10:28:53 Spokane
68 Melanie Dayton 41 10:30:20 Helena
68 John Dayton 42 10:30:20 Helena
70 Sarah Slanger 39 10:30:27 Helena
71 Gary Sparr 64 10:32:18 Columbia Falls
72 Nathan Hein 35 CO 10:33:28 Westminster
73 Ben Russell 32 WA 10:34:15 Ferndale
74 David Smith 54 WA 10:36:24 Walla Walla
75 Rebecca Johnson 26 CO 10:38:09 Golden
76 Jeff Stowell 52 UT 10:42:30 Salt Lake City
77 Quinn Lear 25 ID 10:43:42 Rexburg
78 Adriana McKenzie 46 10:49:52 Missoula
79 Chad Aubin 35 WA 10:51:28 Port Angeles
80 Todd LaValley 49 10:54:07 Spokane
81 Jamie Nott 39 AB 10:55:42 Calgary
82 Patty Spencer 53 AB 10:57:28 Calgary
83 Mike Jones 28 NC 11:05:38 Morganton
84 Rich DeSimone 61 11:05:39 Helena
85 Mary Ann Clute 61 WA 11:10:25 Spokane
86 Matt Glew 34 WA 11:11:58 Newcastle
87 Phil Kilbreath 30 11:33:40 Troy
88 Charles Steele 58 11:39:11 Bozeman
89 Blake Gerke 24 11:47:11 Great Falls
90 Brian Travis 41 WA 11:50:33 Wenatchee
91 Davina Jackson 34 ID 12:01:12 Nampa
92 Mike Otterberg 68 12:29:21 Fort Peck
93 Kathie Lang 64 OR 12:29:41 Klamath Falls
94 Tim Marchant 55 12:40:52 St. Ignatius
95 Jim Ballard 63 OR 12:41:35 Klamath Falls
96 Stuart White 66 OR 13:01:51 Portland
97 Deborah French 38 WA 13:18:30 Nine Mile Falls
97 Kim Dotson 50 WA 13:18:30 Spokane
99 Mike Mustari 65 WA 13:43:52 Edmonds