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Grizzly Marathon
August 19, 2006
Race Report by Bob Dolphin
The Grizzly Marathon certainly has an intriguing name. The designation is appropriate because the marathon is held in a grizzly bear recovery zone in the Rocky Mountains in northern Montana. Part of the marathon course in the foothills of these mountains is in bear habitat, and one runner saw a grizzly during the race. The Grizzly Marathon on August 19, 2006, was in a beautiful setting in Big Sky Country with rolling, grassy plains supporting cattle and wildlife that stretch for miles in all directions. To the west, massive mountains with cliffs rose precipitously.
Packet pickup was held the day before the race at the Stage Stop Inn at Choteau, Montana. There we had the opportunity to visit with runners, including some friends from the United Kingdom. The four who journeyed to the States for two marathons in two weekends were Roger Biggs, Jack Brooks, Gina Little and Carla Hayes. Roger is chairman of the original 100 Marathon Club that's based in London, England. Jack, Gina and I are also members of this club. We enjoyed their company at a pasta meal at a local church on Friday night and at a restaurant in Fairfield after the marathon with Jim Scheer.
Former Renton neighbors of Lenore's whom she hadn't seen in many years, Mary and Moe Embleton, met us at packet pickup, and together we toured the marathon course. The start/finish line of the marathon was 25 miles from Choteau, so this was a smart thing to do. Finding our destination in the dark the next morning could have been a definite challenge.
Lenore's first assignment of the day as a volunteer was to assist in directing participant parking at 5:00 a.m. on this dark Saturday morning. After the playing of the Canadian and American national anthems, the combined field of approximately 101 marathoners and 150 half-marathoners left the starting line at dawn (6:30 a.m.) They ran together for 50 yards and then ran in different directions at a "T" junction.
The marathoners ran on a rectangular course that turned clockwise. The first seven miles were on paved Teton Canyon Road, and I passed 10 runners in the back of the field. Then we turned onto a gravel road (Montana-sized gravel!), and this was the surface for the remainder of the race. Some times there was packed dirt in tire tracks, and this was an improvement over the loose rocks. The elevation fluctuated between 4,110 feet and 4,930 feet in rolling terrain with two major hills. The highest one was at a 19 mile turn-around on an out-and-back section.
The first half went well, and I ran much of it. In the second half as the air temperature rose to 85 degrees under clear skies, I walked a lot. It was good to see friends David Nemoto, March Frommer, Jim Scheer, Boonsom Hartman, Larry Macon, Jim Simpson, Roger Hauge and the Brits on the four mile out-and-back section.
In the last five miles I walked at a 16 minute pace and finished in 6:00:48, 93rd of 100 finishers overall and third of three 70+ males. Lenore welcomed me at the finish line and gave me my finishers medal.
Water, sports drink, gels and fruit had been available on the course at two mile intervals and were offered by friendly volunteers. At the finish area barbecued beef burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks and other food were appreciated by runners to top off their "adventure and triumph over adversity."
Last month at the Paul Bunyan Marathon in Maine I saw Raef Guiges, 50, a CPA from Torrance, CA, who carried a large United States flag that is topped with a cross. He's a 50 States Marathon Club member who participated at the Grizzly Marathon in the same manner. His organization's website (www.godisloveonline.com) is displayed on his T-shirt. In checking this site, I learned that his goal is to "spread the word of God through fitness, raising money for charity groups and supporting Christ in the Middle East."
Congratulations to Tyson Liskow, 27, of Laramie, Wyoming, for running his first marathon and finishing in 4:22:02. Chris Valentino of Novato, California, ran with his son Taylor. Chris finished in 4:54:58, and Taylor ran a 3:55:15.
Thanks go to race director David Hirschfeld, his assistants and the volunteers for organizing the Grizzly Marathon in the Montana countryside.
Thanks also to Lori and John Finch of Fairfield for renovating an old building and creating the Fairfield Park Inn 17 miles from Choteau. We enjoyed our three nights in the "Loony Bin" (the Audubon Room) and the delicious homemade muffins at the continental breakfasts. Runners interested in getting a room at this unique inn should make their reservations early or else they'll miss the opportunity to stay where we did or in the Cowboy, Fisherman, Antique or Americana Room. The email address is: fairfieldparkinn@gmail.com…..phone: (800)844-0892 and (406)467-3373.
The elevation, gravel roads and lack of shade made the Grizzly Marathon a big challenge. I'm glad that I was a part of this 4th annual event and can add Montana as a completed state in my quest to run a marathon in all 50!
Written by Bob Dolphin
Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin
RESULTS: GRIZZLY MARATHON, August 19, 2006
2:54:56 Brendan Lunty, 27, Two Hills, AB, First Overall, First in Age Division
3:12:24 Monty Steffens, 47, Sartell, MN, Second Overall, 1st
3:18:49 Nolan Thompson, 21, Slidell, LA,Third Overall, 1st
3:21:49 George Bienusa, 40, Sartell, MN, 2nd
3:28:43 Patrick Finerty, 36, Chicago, IL, 1st
3:30:05 Arley Sorenson, 52, Kalispell, MT, 1st
3:31:58 Bob Kovell, 53, St. Cloud, MN, 2nd
3:38:42 Glenn Weatherly, 37, Germantown, TN, 2nd
3:40:13 Steve Madson, 42, Waiphau, HI
3:41:09 Shawn Langston, 34, Missoula, MT
3:42:01 Linden Mallory, 21, Ashford, WA, 2nd
3:42:22 Jerry Vondruska, 37, Bloomingdale, IL
3:45:33 Robin Pendleton, 44, Rutherfordton, NC
3:46:40 Corey Bronstein, 43, Englewood, NJ
3:47:23 Tom Remkes, 44, Ogden, UT
3:47:56 Roger Biggs, 58, Stevenage, UK, Mararathon Maniac (MM), 100 MC
3:52:12 Lorne Sundby, 42, St. Albert, AB
3:52:56 Shawn Orloff, 29, Choteau, MT
3:53:15 Richard Bandy, 51, Great Falls, MT
3:53:18 David Nemoto, 42, Houston, TX, MM
3:55:15 Taylor Valentino, 21, Novato, CA
3:57:51 Hunter Coleman, 38, Helena, MT
3:59:12 Dan Rassier, 50, St. Joseph, MN
4:05:02 Stuart White, 59, Great Falls, MT
4:05:06 Janice Anderson, 40, Marietta, GA, 1stWoman Overall, 1st
4:07:21 Renee, Idone, 47, Roxbury, CT, 2nd Woman Overall, 1st
4:10:24 Karen Wharington, 44, North Battleford, SK, 3rd Woman Overall, 2nd
4:12:22 Marsha Kouba, 49, Fayetteville, NC
4:13:03 Marc Frommer, 54, Portland, OR, MM
4:13:50 Ben Hill, 27, Great Falls, MT
4:15:59 Kathi Peck, 56, Goshen, CT, 1st
4:16:05 Michael White, 47, Kerrville, TX
4:16:24 Ed Downey, 53, Mandeville, LA
4:21:48 Russell Petelle, 59, Derby Line, VT
4:22:01 Luca Luppi, 33, Albiate
4:22:02 Tyson Liskow, 27, Laramie, WY
4:22:40 Gina Little, 61, London, UK, 1st
4:23:28 Corrine Austerman, 43, Okotoks, AB
4:23:30 Brooks, Jack, 54, St. Albans, UK. 100 MC
4:24:10 Philip Howard, 50, Bozeman, MT
4:26:03 Ralph Blanchard, 49, East Granby, CT
4:26:15 Tony Briski, 57, Menifee, CA
4:27:13 Bill Pauls, 56, Columbia, MO
4:27:59 Amy Mosca, 34, Newburyport, MA, 1st
4:30:44 Jonquil Powell, 33, Bozeman, MT, 2nd
4:33:33 Jody Goldman, 51, Scottsdale, AZ, 2nd
4:36:00 Karen Moya, 28, Miami, FL, 1st
4:36:03 Chiemi Shiro, 22, Laramie, WY, 2nd
4:37:55 Craig Smith, 50, Springfield, IL
4:38:13 C. Lee, 50, Coolin, ID
4:40:17 Carla Hayes, London, UK
4:45:03 Jim Scheer, 64, Vancouver, WA, 1st, MM, 100 MC
4:45:04 Ron Remkes, 49, Ogden, UT
4:47:16 Camy Paffhausen, 37, Dillon, MT
4:47:33 Jane Sizemore, 31, Great Falls, MT
4:48:50 Tom Crockford, 43, Boise, ID
4:50:42 Rachel Zimmerman, 27, Dewitt, NE
4:54:53 Jim Grindley, 71, Cottonwood, AZ
4:54:58 Chris Valentino, 51, Novato, CA
4:55:32 Michael McCormick, 30, Boise, ID
4:57:28 Suzanne Squires, 50, Scottsdale, AZ
4:58:06 Peter Ramirez, 36, Greenville, SC
4:58:12 Cary Cone, 57, Goose Creek, SC
4:58:24 Kevin Maki, 22, Great Falls, MT
4:58:44 Jed Myers, 37, Lewistown MT
4:59:22 Tamara MacKey, 37, Seattle, WA
5:08:39 Ron Herren, 60, Buda, TX
5:08:58 Annie Tuss, 43, Lewistown, MT
5:09:26 Rachel Stansberry, 45, Lewistown, MT
5:13:03 Greg Kuhl, 52, Calgary, AB
5:13:48 Alford Claiborne, 61, San Diego, CA
5:21:26 Lori Lunt, 28, Two Hills, AB
5:23:34 Roger Hauge, 75, Excelsior, MN, 2nd
5:24:30 Adam Weiss, 42, Linwood, NJ
5:26:39 Michael Hennessy, 57, Riviera Beach, FL
5:27:28 William Watson, 60, River Ridge, LA
5:30:29 Bud Jackson, 40, Honolulu, HI
5:31:13 Raef Guirges, 50, Torrance, CA
5:31:31 Michael Brown, 29, Miami, FL
5:35:07 Elizabeth Stein, 25, New York, NY
5:35:11 Jason Gerhart, 31, New York, NY
5:36:21 Karen Nicholson, 40, Kansas City, MO
5:36:21 Charlie Surran, 55, Norfolk, VA
5:36:50 Edward Peters, 55, Norwalk, CT
5:38:36 Cynthia Witman, 53, Walla Walla, WA, MM
5:43:11 Win Apel, 56, Boise, ID
5:44:41 David Ross, 56, Redmond, WA
5:48:30 Krista Oge Kober, 26 Whitefish, MT
5:52:22 Boonsom Hartman, 48, Oak Forest, IL, MM, 100 MC
5:54:19 Jamie Remkes, 45, Ogden, UT
5:55:14 Kenneth Bluc, 44, Greenbelt, MD
5:56:55 Angela Tortorice, 38, Dallas, TX
6:00:48 Bob Dolphin, 76, Renton/Yakima, WA, MM, 100 MC
6:08:15 Dennis Linehan, 40, Skokie, IL
6:30:30 Aubrey Hallam, 39, Heber City, UT
6:34:17 Larry Macon, 61, San Antonio, TX, MM, 100 MC
6:34:17 Jim Simpson, 64, Huntington Beach, CA, 100 MC
7:18:29 Patricia Coveny, 65, Dunwoody, GA, 2nd
7:33:00 Jan Duncan, 48, Lewistown, MT
7:56:19 Mary Lou Vande Riet, Weatherford, TX
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