LeTutour, Adams win Priest Lake 50K race
—Courtesy photo Sandpoint’s Gwen LeTutour, left, and Katie Adams, right, finished first and second, respectively, in the 50K portion of the Priest River Marathon on Saturday.
SANDPOINT — Sandpoint couple Gwen LeTutour and Katie Adams logged more than 62 miles collectively, finishing first and second among the 16 runners in the 50K portion of the Priest Lake Marathon on Saturday.
Adams, who used to run track for the Bulldogs, ran with her husband for the first nine miles, before LeTutour picked up the pace and went on to win the 31 mile race in four hours and 16 minutes, just ahead of Adams in four hours, 39 minutes. The course, which started at Hills Resort and followed rolling forest roads, featured more than 2,500 feet of elevation gain.
LeTutour, who currently coaches a couple of tennis players on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour, also coaches his wife when it comes to running, and told her to keep the same pace for the next 12 miles, knowing she’d have the strength to finish second. The next two finishers, both females, were 25 minutes behind Adams.
The couple used the Priest Lake race as a training run for the upcoming LeGrizz 50 mile ultra marathon race in Montana in two weeks. LeTutour did the last 13 miles with progressive splits from 7:45 per mile to finishing the last three miles at about 6:45 per mile.
“It was important to be able to finish strong rather than suffering the last few miles,” claimed LeTutour. “A hard end of race would definitely have left some doubt in the mind for the 50 miler.”
More than 200 runners from around the region took part in either a 50K race, a marathon, a 25K race, or a half marathon at scenic Priest Lake.
Adams and LeTutour are both plant-based nutritionists, and feel that diet helps the body recover faster after rigorous training. Adams credits the plant-based diet for her running success.
“Just three years ago, the thought of running over 30 miles seemed insane. Today, I am not only running over 30 miles, I am talking strategy with my coach Gwen and actually winning those races that seemed impossible just a year ago,” said Adams. “I credit my recent success 100 percent to a smart training plan and a plant-based diet.”