Missoula woman wins Le Grizz ultramarathon

No one was going to catch Missoula’s Christi Richards at the annual Le Grizz 50-mile run Oct. 7 in Polebridge.

The 28-year-old was the top overall finisher in the grueling ultramarathon, crossing the finish with a time of 6:57:00. She ran an 8:20 per mile pace.

Sandpoint, Idaho, couple Gwen LeTutour and Katie Adams also left their mark on the race.

LeTutour finished as the top runner in the mens open division, finishing in a time of 7 hours, 14 minutes and 8 seconds.

His wife Adams placed second in the women’s open division, clocking in at 7:56:39.

The run featured 2,600 feet of elevation gain on mostly gravel roads, surrounded by rivers and the peaks of Glacier National Park.

LeTutour and Adams are both vegans and enjoy running ultramarathons.

“My goal for this race was to be a little closer to seven hours, but for my second 50-miler, I am very happy with the way the race unfolded,” said LeTutour. “Katie ran her first 50-miler in June this year in 13 hours and 37 minutes. She improved a lot and I know her potential will take her to another level.”

Local finishers include Libby’s Nick Peterson at third place among men, and Whitefish’s Jeff Metsky finishing 14th. Tiffany Tyree of West Glacier finished fifth among women, Whitefish’s Krista Oge Kober placed eighth, and Rebecca Merritt placed 14th. Complete results on www.runlegrizz.com.

The race next year is slated for Oct. 14, 2017.