Ten Bears Den
The 10 Bears is awarded for mastering the sport of ultrarunning. It is a clock and a standing Grizzly Bear mounted on a large slab of native Montana juniper or cedar. It is earned by a runner who completes 10 Le Grizz events as a registered entrant. The runs do not need to be completed consecutively, and there is no time limit, but there is a penalty for not finishing: No credit for a completion. This award is unique in the sport of ultra running, as it takes at least 10 years to earn. Learning to run ultras is an undertaking that takes years, has nothing to do with accidentally finishing one's first ultra attempt, and is different for everyone. The 10 Bears Award is a measure of the commitment, perseverance, injury management and mental tenacity one must develop to persist in the sport. An occasional DNF or missed year is simply part of a runner's development. This award, unlike recognition for winning or setting a record time, emphasizes! finishing. It places a premium on the patience needed to incorporate necessary recovery periods (with their attendant physical deterioration) into one's lifestyle, to stop and smell the roses rather than just stop and smell. It provides incentive to learn pacing, or to tough it out when a fast time is not going to happen. And it makes one hell of a belt buckle.
The Chief 10 Bears Award
The Chief 10 Bears Award enhances membership in the 10 Bears Den by recognizing lifetime achievement. It is conferred on a runner with 20 completions.
Steve Heaps
Year of Award: 1991
Years to Earn Award: 10
Age Award Achieved: 47
Hometown: Spokane & Greenacres WA
Performance Data
1982 7:26:48
1983 8:09:02
1984 8:21:11
1985 7:23:57 – Men’s Masters Winner
1986 7:14:22
1987 7:47:16
1988 7:46:39
1989 7:53:31
1990 7:49:49
1991 8:27:38 – 10 Bears awarded
1992 9:49:161993 7:54:43
1994 7:58:561995 8:24:25
1996 8:57:52
1997 8:36:40
1998 9:27:31
1999 10:22:38
2000 9:17:10
2001 10:03:15 – Chief 10 Bears Awarded
2002 9:28:58
2003 9:39:59
2004 10:08:40
2005 11:26:13
2006 9:54:36
2007 9:56:10
2008 10:59:39
2009 Dropped @ 32 miles – dnf
2010 – Master of Ceremonies for Chief 10 Bears
2011 Attended
2012 Attended
2013 Entrant crew
2014 Attended
1983
Bobbie (fka Dixon) Pomroy
Year of Award: 1991
Years to Earn Award: 10
Age Award Achieved: 44
Hometown: Helena & Clancy MT
Performance Data
1982 7:21:11 – Women’s Overall Winner
1983 7:16:16 – Women’s Overall Winner
1984 7:07:56 – Women’s Overall Winner
1985 6:37:53 – Women’s Overall Winner & Women’s Course Record
1986 7:05:37 – Women’s Overall Winner
1987 6:58:18 – Women’s Overall Winner & Women’s Masters Course Record
1988 7:42:09 – Women’s Masters Winner
1989 7:29:08 – Women’s Masters Winner
1990 7:23:51 – Women’s Overall Winner
1991 7:54:32 – Women’s Masters Winner & 10 Bears awarded
1992 7:58:30 – Women’s Overall Winner
1993 8:01:12
1994 8:44:18
2022 Relay Team
1988
Rick Spady
Year of Award: 1992
Years to Earn Award: 11
Age Award Achieved: 40
Hometown: Ovando, MT & Cool, CA
Performance Data
1982 6:36:23 – Men’s Overall Winner
1983 5:55:49 – Men’s Overall Winner
1984 Dropped @ 10 miles – dnf
1985 6:33:56
1986 5:50:56 – Men’s Overall Winner
1987 6:19:57
1988 5:44:54 – Men’s Overall Winner
1989 6:05:09 – Men’s Open Winner
1990 6:10:21 – Men’s Overall Winner
1991 5:59:36
1992 6:36:53 – 10 Bears awarded
1993 6:37:55
1995 Dropped @ 18 miles – dnf
1996 7:06:38
1998 Dropped @ 36 miles – dnf
2001 8:01:54
2020 Attended
1990
Jim Pomroy
Year of Award: 1993
Years to Earn Award: 12
Age Award Achieved: 47
Hometown: Clancy MT
Performance Data
1982 7:09:30
1983 6:38:03
1984 6:35:57 – Men’s Overall Winner
1985 6:13:35 – Men’s Overall Winner
1986 Dropped @ 10 miles – dnf
1987 6:22:27 – Men’s Masters Winner
1988 6:29:21 – Men’s Masters Winner
1989 6:56:15
1990 Dropped @ 15 miles – dnf
1991 6:35:09
1992 6:45:28
1993 7:21:05 – 10 Bears awarded
1994 7:51:36
1983
Larry Carroll
Year of Award: 1993
Years to Earn Award: 11
Age Award Achieved: 53
Hometown: Post Falls ID, Spokane & Liberty Lake WA
Performance Data
1983 7:02:19 – Men’s Masters Winner
1984 6:48:54 – Men’s Masters Winner
1985 8:11:53
1986 6:49:42
1988 7:16:58
1989 7:49:04
1990 7:33:58
1991 7:29:01
1992 7:01:36 – Men’s Seniors Winner
1993 7:13:34 – Men’s Seniors Winner – 10 Bears awarded
1994 7:15:48 – Men’s Seniors Winner
1995 7:04:09
1996 6:58:45 – Men’s Seniors Winner
1997 7:49:14
1998 7:09:01 – Men’s Seniors Winner
1999 7:28:38 – Men’s Seniors Winner
2000 7:17:21 – Men’s Seniors Winner
2001 7:13:52 – Men’s Seniors Winner
2002 7:35:58
2003 7:28:55 – Men’s Seniors Winner – Chief 10 Bears Awarded
2004 Dropped @ 18 miles dnf
2006 8:29:46
2008 8:29:38
2010 10:20:05
2014 Dropped @ 41 miles -dnf
1988
Doug Clark
Year of Award: 1995
Years to Earn Award: 13
Age Award Achieved: 47
Hometown: Nine Mile Falls & Spokane WA
Performance Data
1983 6:50:17
1984 7:09:21
1985 6:32:19
1987 7:47:16
1988 7:19:59
1989 6:49:26
1990 7:28:45
1991 8:57:37
1993 7:45:30
1995 8:24:25 – 10 Bears awarded
1996 7:51:20
2004 9:12:17
1987
Jim Grindley
Year of Award: 1995
Years to Earn Award: 12
Age Award Achieved: 58
Hometown: Bozeman MT, Thief River Falls MN & Cottonwood, AZ
Performance Data
1984 8:17:07
1985 8:27:50
1986 7:43:56
1987 7:59:11
1988 8:48:51
1989 9:09:42
1992 8:45:43
1993 10:20:02
1994 10:33:24
1995 10:41:36 – 10 Bears awarded
1999 10:43:01
2000 10:45:33
2002 10:51:50
2003 9:49:25
2004 9:48:07
2005 9:32:16
2006 11:01:29
2007 10:09:51
2008 10:36:40
2009 10:46:15 – Chief 10 Bears Awarded
2012 Attended
2013 Attended
2014 Attended
2019 Entrant crew
1988
Bill Close
Year of Award: 1996
Years to Earn Award: 11
Age Award Achieved: 36
Hometown: Spokane WA
Performance Data
1986 7:46:50
1988 8:16:08
1989 8:31:50
1990 8:23:57
1991 8:30:37
1992 8:51:50
1993 8:52:08
1994 9:20:20
1995 8:31:21
1996 9:03:32 – 10 Bears awarded
1997 9:18:57
2000 Participated unregistered
1996
Stuart White
Year of Award: 1998
Years to Earn Award: 10
Age Award Achieved: 51
Hometown: Great Falls MT & Portland OR
Performance Data
1989 7:38:55
1990 6:55:38
1991 6:34:12 – Men’s Masters Winner
1992 6:49:59
1993 6:58:37
1994 6:50:09
1995 7:08:06
1996 7:09:30
1997 7:18:09 – Men’s Seniors Winner
1998 7:42:31 – 10 Bears awarded
1999 7:51:25
2000 8:55:48
2001 8:32:10
2002 7:58:50
2003 8:10:11
2004 7:54:36
2005 8:30:24
2006 8:23:05
2007 8:22:28
2008 9:56:33 – Chief 10 Bears Awarded
2009 9:14:37
2010 9:41:02
2011 9:17:56
2012 9:55:27
2013 13:01:51
2014 11:22:12
2015 13:20:28
2019 Entrant crew
2020 Attended/Award Presenter
1994
Bob Feeney
Year of Award: 1998
Years to Earn Award: 10
Age Award Achieved: 46
Hometown: Medicine Hat AB
Performance Data
1989 6:30:42
1990 6:21:48
1991 6:07:35
1992 6:04:16 – Men’s Masters Winner
1993 6:02:55 – Men’s Masters Winner
1994 6:09:38 – Men’s Masters Winner
1995 6:32:29 – Men’s Masters Winner
1996 6:53:36 – Men’s Masters Winner
1997 6:58:09
1998 6:34:12 – 10 Bears awarded
1999 8:05:48
2000 7:05:50
2001 7:37:22
2002 7:27:19 – Men’s Seniors Winner
2003 8:30:02
2004 8:20:18
2005 7:45:29
2006 8:01:30
2007 8:36:23
2008 9:10:11 – Chief 10 Bears Awarded
2009 9:14:37
2011 Attended
2014 Attended
