Bear Lake, Idaho, September 24. Nick Pedatella led throughout in winning the 13th annual Bear 100. Pedatella held a lead of less than 5 minutes ahead of Ben Lewis and Gary Gellin for the first 60 miles before slowly pulling away in the races final miles. Nikki Kimball was the women’s winner, comfortably ahead of runner-up Jane Larkindale for much of the race.
The race starts in Logan, Utah and crosses the northern Wasatch Range, finishing at Bear Lake, Idaho. It features more than 26,000 feet of climb, with most of the race being between 7000 and 9000 feet above sea level. The Bear, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, had 236 starters this year. 162 finished within the 36-hour time limit.
Men
1. Nick Pedatella, 26, Boulder, CO, 20:55
2. Benjamin Lewis, 33, Salt Lake City, UT, 21:20
3. Kelly Lance, 43, Pocatello, ID, 21:35
4. Naoki Ouchi, 36, Nagano, Japan, 21:53
5. Mick Jurynec, 33, Salt Lake City, UT, 22:05
Women
1. Nikki Kimball, 40, Bozeman, MT, 22:19
2. Jane Larkindale, 35, Tucson, AZ, 23:25
3. Ellen Parker, 34, Seattle, WA, 23:53:49
4. Missy Miller, 44, Durango, CO, 26:38:11
5. Rebecca Hall, 33, Evergreen, CO, 26:44:56
Photo: Nikki Kimball at the White River 50 (Glenn Tachiyama photo)