Course records set at Two Bear Marathon
Rain and wind doesn't slow hundreds of runners, German man is overall winner
Sunday's rain and wind made for soggy conditions for the fourth running of the Two Bear Marathon and Half Marathon. But that didn't seem to slow some of the runners, as new marathon course records were set in both the overall women's and women's masters divisions.
Marcus Lehr, of Wetzlar, Germany, was the first to finish the marathon, coming across the tape with a time of 2:59:59. Tyson Warner, of Whitefish, finished second.
Rhea Fuller, of Missoula, was the overall women's winner in a course record 3:21:38. Douglas Shanks, of Portland, Ore., won the masters men's division, with Vonda Garcia, of Whitefish, setting a new course record in the masters women's division.
The addition of a half-marathon to this year's Two Bear doubled the number of runners and gave those hardy spectators and volunteers braving the elements an exciting finish.
Jesse Agner, of Petersburg, Alaska, was the overall half-marathon winner in a time of 1:23:19. Rachel Farris, of Whitefish, finished in 1:38:08 to win the women's overall division. Richard Menicke, also of Whitefish, won the masters men's division, and Jennifer Kaplan, from Arlee, won the masters women's division.
Larry Wasson, of North Vernon, Ind., came to Whitefish to fulfill his goal to run a marathon in all 50 states. He has eight states left in the West, including Hawaii and Alaska, and eight states in the Northeast to complete his task.
"The Whitefish course was beautiful," he said. "It was very well set up, and all the volunteers standing in the rain handing out water along the course were fantastic."
Wasson said the Two Bear wasn't the most difficult, but it was close.
"The rain actually was nice for runners," he said. "The marathon in Green River, Wyo., had five miles of elevation gain at the beginning, so that was tough."
Full marathon
Markus LEHR Wetzlar Hessen Germany
Tyson WARNER Whitefish
Michael FOOTE Missoula
Heath WILTSE Coeur d'Alene Idaho
Douglas SHANKS Portland Ore.
Brad TREAT West Glacier
Rhea FULLER Missoula
John DiBARI Missoula
Andrew MATULIONIS Whitefish
Travis BOURRET Hamilton
Vonda GARCIA Whitefish
Mark TARR Columbia Falls
Adam WYTKO Columbia Md.
Seth CARBONARI Whitefish
Jim CHASE Frenchtown
Jeff BOLLMAN Billings
Sheila NYKWIST Lethbridge Alberta
Joel SHEHAN Kalispell
Jim RICE Kila
Laurel DOUGLAS Missoula
Andrew ECKLES Atlanta Ga.
Eric SAWTELLE Whitefish
Kent LAUDON Kalispell
Dave WADE Wilson Wyo.
Johan OTTER Escondido Calif.
Ray JONES Granbury Texas
Trent GREEN Chicago Ill.
Brandon UTLEY Whitefish
Greg SCHULER Lexington Ky.
Travis WALL Whitefish
Kevin CARROTHERS Sammamish Wash.
Susan ARMSTRONG Ogden Utah
Benjamin SHINEN Hillsboro Ore.
Bob JOHNSON Clancy
Sheldon DATTENBERGER Medicine Hat Alberta
Andrew COSTIGAN Whitefish
Gary SPARR Columbia Falls
Jonquil POWELL Bozeman
Deanna ASHBY Spokane Wash.
Alisha WICKHAM Whitefish
Sharon STERBIS Missoula
Elise ROBOCKER Kalispell
Josh AKEY Whitefish
Joel PEDERSON Seattle Wash.
Patrick ADAM Calgary Alberta
Jennifer SCHON Kalispell
David MERCER Whitefish
Beth PROFFITT Birdsboro Pa.
Stuart WHITE Great Falls
Sam ASHE Columbia Falls
Bill ZANONI Bozeman
Michelle UBERUAGA Missoula
Martin MILLER Helena
Jon GERARD Spokane Valley Wash.
Karin GERARD Spokane Valley Wash.
Wendy HOLLISTER Sequim Wash.
Bruce (Jabek) KIRBY Rexford
Timothy SANDOR Superior Wis.
Vivian DOORN Seattle Wash.
Ruth WRIGHTSMAN Bigfork
Sarah PETERSON Whitefish
Sarah ANDERSON Eureka F
Craig WATSON Baton Rouge La,
Whitney STEPHENSON San Francisco Calif.
Tara NELSON Kalispell
Karl WILFING Independence Ky.
Andy GARNER Summerfield N.C.
Charles DAY Calgary Alberta
Jeri BOTSFORD Portland Ore.
Mike MURRAY Reading Ohio
Adrianne DICKSON Marion
Kevin ALLEN-SCHMID Kalispell
Rebecca SHAW Helena
Bob MURAOKA Whitefish
Tom TUDOR Bismarck N.D.
Christine EVERETT Missoula
Kathy NEFF Whitefish
Clare KING Eagle River Ark.
Amanda BESTOR Corvallis
Kristine STRASBURGER Spirit Lake Idaho
Kristi BURTON Vancouver Wash.
Lila HUNT Ridgefield Wash.
Corrine AUSTERMAN Okotoks Alberta
Barbara HAMILTON Severna Park Md.
Sandy ANDERSON Whitefish
Larry WASSON North Vernon Ind.
Don ADRIAN Havre
Gil JORDAN Coram
Steve KREITNER Kalispell
Deborah YARBOROUGH Kalispell
Tami MILLER Whitefish
Half Marathon
Jesse AGNER Petersburg Alaska
John FITZGERALD Brockton Mass.
Richard MENICKE Whitefish
Jim OGLE Liberty Lake Wash.
Jabby YOUNG Great Falls
Andy ANDERSON Spokane Wash.
Bob FOLEY Whitefish
Chris ADAMCYK Kila
Steven JOHNSON Sherwood Park Alberta
Phillip MOORE Whitefish
Rachel FARRIS Whitefish
Wendy HOWSE Fernie Alberta
Simon HOWSE Fernie Alberta
Somer TREAT West Glacier
Mark SCHLEICHER Missoula
John SHYROCK Kalispell
Peter ANDERSON Edna Minn.
Pat CROSS Missoula
Thomas EDEN Great Falls
Julie BAKER Kalispell
Phillip REINDL Columbia Falls
Eric BRADY Liberty Lake Wash.
Amanda RACHER Fernie Alberta
Jennifer KAPLAN Arlee
Tim LAMBRECHT Minnetonka Minn.
Warren STETLES Marion
Lynn BARLOW Marion
Taylor RORK Wilson WY
Jennifer BROWN Missoula
Leslie ALDCORN Lethbridge Alberta
Kelly ROBINSON Missoula
Danelle GJETMUNDSEN Missoula
Marilyn MARLER Missoula
Alex POLLSHUK Marion
Tammy MOCABEE Missoula
Jill DEMERS Alberton
Mary BRICKER Missoula
Melanie SHIRILLA Lincoln
Johnna RIZZA Clinton
Delia BUCKMASTER Whitefish
Melissa SNYDER Columbia Falls
Rodrick CRAWFORD Sandpoint Idaho
Grace LIN Ventura Calif.
Barbara BROWN Sandpoint Idaho
Richard HILDNER Whitefish
Breanne ENDER Missoula
Cindra BARBEE Kalispell
Patricia BRADY Kalispell
Trina VANORNY Kalispell
Victoria MIX Missoula
Tawnya BINGHAM Whitefish
Laurie MARBURGER Kalispell
Holli GEMBALA Kalispell
Richard RYAN Randburg Gauteng South Africa
Roz PENNEFATHER Randburg Gauteng South Africa
Trent TAYLOR Liberty Lake Wash.
Valerie McKENZIE Kalispell
Stephanie BRADY Liberty Lake Wash.
Suzanne HILDNER Whitefish
Ilana ABRAHAMSON Missoula