A CLARK FORK ADVENTURE

Even with leg cramps, Andrew Ordelheide poured on the speed on Combest Creek Road, motivated by what he saw looking over his shoulder - competitor Scott Richardson - less than a minute behind him.

Ordelheide was one of 10 men and four women to compete in the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation 4th Annual Clark Fork Challenge at the Sanders County Fairgrounds Sunday. The owner of MT West Dentist in Plains has competed in the Clark Fork Challenge all three years. It was canceled one year due to smoke from the nearby Sheep Gap Fire. Ordelheide finished third both times.

The third time seemed to be the charm for the 38-year-old, who finished the 31-mile triathlon in first place with a time of 3 hours, 9 minutes, and 37.96 seconds. In second place was Scott Richardson of Clark Fork, Idaho, finishing at 3:10:14.17.  Richardson, 40, finished first last year.

The race started and ended at the fairgrounds with runners taking off for their eight-mile trek at 8 a.m. They picked up their kayaks at the Paradise Fishing Access and paddled eight miles back to the fairgrounds to grab their bikes for the 15-mile trek, which included about six miles of mountain biking.

The Clark Fork Adventure Challenge once again featured two races, the 31-mile triathlon and a 20-mile race called the Clark Fork Adventure Challenge Lite, which included a five-mile run, a five-mile kayak race, and a 10-mile mountain bike ride. Thirty-nine people took part in the two races, 20 more than 2018. Twenty-five competed in the short race.

Richardson had the lead during the run and kayak segments, but Ordelheide passed him about two minutes before leaving the woods. Ordelheide did the run in 1:04:40.4 at an average pace of 8.05 mph, according to Jessie Carnes of Competitive Timing, whose digital equipment clocked the competitors to 100th of a second. Ordelheide did the kayak portion in 58:09.46 at a pace of 8.25 mph. His bike race was done in 1:06:48.1 at a pace of 13 mph.

Ordelheide said he shaved 23 minutes off last year's race and did the run 10 minutes faster. He and Richardson ran into a black bear in the foot race and were held up for a short time before scaring it up a tree. Ordelheide said he's been training seriously since April. Ordelheide's parents, Karl, 67, and Bobbi, 68, of Lincoln City, Oregon, also competed. Karl finished seventh at 4:03:22.04. Bobbi took second place in the women's class at 5:00:38.77.

In third place was Andrew Leichtnam of Hot Springs, finishing at 3:11:00.15. Leichtnam, 35, has done about 30 Spartan competitions in several states. He said the Clark Fork Adventure Challenge is a "top-notch" race and is sure to grow. Fifty-one-year-old Erik Digby, formerly of Thompson Falls and now a Missoula resident, was making good time, but got a rear tire flat in the woods. Digby was the champion in the 2016 race and last year finished second after a tire failure in the bike race. He completed the race Sunday in fifth place at 3:47:19.86.

First place in the women's class was Alison Ordelheide, Andrew's sister from Basalt, Colorado. Alison finished the race in 3:44:52.40. She did the run in 1:08:13.5, the kayak at 1:02:12.1 and the bike at 1:34:26.6. Third went to Celene Paulsen of Plains, crossing the finish line at 5:15:11.10. She and Kristen Maxwell, also of Plains, finished the long run last in 2019. This year, the two friends crossed the line nearly at the same time second to last. Maxwell said they're going to shoot for third from last next year. The final competitors in the long race Sunday were two Bremerton, Washington, men, Dave Boynton and Joseph Kennedy, at five hours, 52 minutes and 14.41 seconds.

In the Lite contest, first place in the men's division was Chris Clemens of Clark Fork, Idaho, finishing at 2:26:39.39, followed by Josh Pallister of Helena at 3:23:05.71. In the women's class, Claire Clemens took first at 2:27:32.19, followed by Amanda McGowan of Helena at 2:29:05.51. Third went to Dawn Lev of Whitefish at 2:32:07.01, followed by Carolyn Lisle of Libby and Tamra Weltz of Noxon in fifth.

This was the first year that organizers started the two races at different times, said Barry Fowler, one of the race organizers and the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation executive director. The race was sponsored by the foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps purchase equipment not in the hospital's regular budget. Last year, money raised from the race helped to pay for a surgical bed. Cost to enter the long race was $75 for an individual or $150 for a team of two or three. For the short race, it was $65 a person or $130 a team. There were no teams for the long race, but five in the Lite race.

Team "Triple Trouble" of Missoula, comprised of Scott Smith, Rachel Lukomski and her 15-year-old daughter, Lily, the youngest competitor of the event, took first place at 2:53:54.88. Second place went to "Chicka Chicka Dude," filled by Dave Kirkwood, Marie Errecart, both of Plains, and Lisa Sears of Whitefish, finishing at 2:56:38.69. This is the second year for the team to compete, completing the race eight seconds faster than 2018. Sears did the run in 58:23.08. Errecart's kayak time was 43:21.20 and Kirkwood finished the bike ride in 1:14:54.4.

The third place team was "The Printery Crew," which included Suzy VonHeeder's run of 54:23.69, Lisa Rice in the kayak, finishing at 47:50.05, and Kenny Benson on the bike with a time of 1:25:45.6. Their overall time was 3:07:59.42. Fourth went to the "World's Okayest Try-ERs," a Clark Fork Valley Hospital crew of runner Whitney Tanner-Spurr, a unit secretary and certified nursing assistant, Jessica Malmend, a registered nurse and the group's kayaker, and biker CNA Cassie Craft. The hospital crew's overall time was 3:11:14.87. Fifth place went to "Uncommon Grounds," which included Shannon Benson on the run, Cynthia Boehler in the kayak, both of Plains, and Spokane resident Richard Canning on the bike. Their overall time was 4:04:50.91.

The Clark Fork Adventure Challenge is one of three fundraisers for the Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation each year. They also host the Hospital Gala in the spring and a golf tournament at fair time, scheduled for Sept. 6 next year. Dr. Greg Hanson, the hospital president and CEO, said the foundation's fundraisers are important to the hospital. "This is also a way for us to interact with the community and this promotes a healthy lifestyle," said Hanson, who helped volunteer Jan Blake and Hanson's son, Jim, cook burritos for the competitors and race volunteers after the race.

Fowler felt the event was a big success and believes it will grow even bigger next year. He added that he couldn't have pulled it off without the eight sponsors and the dozen volunteers scattered throughout the course.

The race drew competitors from Missoula, Kalispell, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon. Dustin Brooks traveled from Newton, Illinois, after seeing it advertised in a men's health magazine.

The foundation raised roughly $2,500 - $1,000 more than last year - and plans to help pay for anesthesia department equipment. Next year's adventure challenge is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020.