Mount Marathon Race

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The Mount Marathon Race is a mountain race that is run every summer, in Seward, Alaska, on the Fourth of July.

1 Race
2 History
3 Trivia
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Race

The race begins downtown, on Fourth and Adams, in front of the general store, and ends a block south of where it began, on Fourth and Jefferson. The halfway point is a stone marker^[1] atop Mount Marathon, 3022 feet (921 meters) above sea level, and a mile and a half from the finish line. The total race course distance is about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers). Leading racers will typically reach the peak from the starting line in 35-40 minutes, and reach the finish line from the peak in 10-15 minutes. Average speed uphill is 2 mph. Average speed downhill is 12 mph. Some runners travel at burst speeds nearing terminal velocity as they plummet down the mountain nearing certain danger or even death. It is not uncommon for the racers who finish to cross the finish line injured or bleeding, covered in mud and blood, cheered on by sport-crazed locals and vagabond drifters in town for the holiday.

[edit] History

The first race was run in 1908 on an informal bet between a local bartender and a geologist. The bartender's challenge was to run from that spot, to the top of — what was then Mount Isabelle — and back, in under an hour. His finishing time of 62 minutes didn't win him the compass and map he'd wagered for, but they carved his name on the wall and challenged anyone in town to best him.

Mt. Marathon was first run as an organized race in 1915.^[2] The 2007 running will be the 80th Mount Marathon Race. The Mount Marathon Race is one of a number of races believed to be the second oldest footrace in America.^[3]^[4]^[5]