“It went OK, I finished OK and I feel pretty good right now,” said the 80-year-old runner from Evaro. “I was slower than last year. I'd like to think I don't get slower, but because of age you do, and I did.”
It was Hayes' 10th time tackling - and finishing - the unforgiving race through Montana's scenic northwest corner at the edge of Glacier National Park.
A standing ovation greeted Hayes when he crossed the finish line accompanied by his wife, Ann, and sons, Andy and Tom.
“It was very emotional at the finish,” said Tom Hayes, who made sure his father had water and snacks along the route. “Andy ran the last six miles with Dad, and Mom and I ran the last 200 yards.
“Everybody was taking pictures.”
Along with the accolades, Hayes received a 10 Bears trophy. It measures 4 feet long and a foot wide, and is so big it wouldn't fit in his car. Hayes' son, Andy, found a way to haul it home, and it's so big, the family joked it might have to stay in the barn.
Hayes said it was the only time he could remember when the weather was beautiful for the duration of the race; this year, 69 runners enjoyed the good fortune of a perfect day.
“Some days have been nice when we started and some nice when we finished, but I don't think we have run where it was perfect all day,” Hayes said.
“It was 29 degrees and kind of frosty at the start, and as the sun got up there it was nice all day long. I ran in shorts and a tank top it was so comfortable. It was just a beautiful day.”
Hayes' canine companion, a terrier named Jack, ran 10 miles of the journey and provided some entertainment and distraction. Along the way, a squirrel scampering in the timber teased the little dog. Jack got so riled up he broke his leash and ran into the woods after the chattering squirrel.
As if he didn't have enough miles to cover, Hayes took a detour to round up his runaway and get back on course.
“Jack went on a little investigation, and I had to go after him,” Hayes said.
Now that the race is over, Hayes said he's taking a few days off from running. He'll lace up again and hit the trails on Wednesday in preparation for this Saturday's 7-mile race on the Kim Williams Trail called “To Hellgate and Back.”
“That's a nice little run,” he said. “There are no hills and the trail is practically level.”
And after that?
“Oh, I'll do a couple of little 5Ks - a few turkey trots and I think there's the Mount Sentinel Hill Climb sometime along the first of November.
“Then there's the Canadian birkebeiner - it's a 35-mile cross-country ski race I do every year about 20 miles east of Edmonton. It's an up-and-down course with about 2,000 skiers.
“I'll probably do that again, but I won't do any long runs again until the Snow Joke half-marathon in February in Seeley Lake.”
Vandenburg, Douglas cross line first
Brian Vandenburg of Spokane was the overall winner of the Le Grizz Ultramarathon on Saturday, finishing in 6 hours, 26 minutes and 52 seconds. Mark Tarr of Columbia Falls, a past repeat winner, was second in 6:41:43 and was first in the Masters division.
Laurel Douglas of Missoula was the first woman to cross the finish line, stopping the clock in 8:00:41. Sandy Crandall of Coram won the women's Masters division in 8:06:46.
Margaret Heaphy of Polebridge and Bob Hayes of Evaro were each awarded a 10 Bears trophy for completing their 10th Le Grizz.
A total of 69 runners from 13 states and two Canadian provinces completed the 50-mile race along the west shore of Hungry Horse Reservoir, 26 of whom had never run 50 miles before.
Missoulian
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