Will Ross lives and trains near sea level, so achieving the podium was a big surprise at the Borealis Fat Bike World Championships in Crested Butte, Colorado. “Today was hands down the best day I’ve ever had at altitude,” Ross said on Facebook. “I’m still in shock I was able to pull off a 3rd… Read more »
Undeterred by mud, five Anchorage cyclists held their own at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Lakewood, Wash. “It was muddier than I thought it was going to be,” said James Stull, adding that his family’s fleet of bikes had to be washed twice daily. Ellie Mitchell of Anchorage had the Alaskan contingent’s top… Read more »
Before last weekend, Taylor Turney of Anchorage had never raced an ultramarathon, let alone one with 60 obstacles. But on Dec. 14 he nailed his first Spartan Ultra in Los Olivos, California, taking the victory in 5 hours, 24 minutes and 50 seconds over 50 kilometers (31 miles). Turney caught the frontrunner at about mile… Read more »
From the World Cup in Europe to the SuperTour in North America to the upcoming World Youth Olympic Games, Alaska skiers are striding strong. With one race remaining in Period 1 of the World Cup, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen of Alaska Pacific University is ranked fourth in the overall standings after finishing ninth on Dec. 15… Read more »
Christy Marvin’s return to the Ozarks Highland Trail in Arkansas was a resounding success. Marvin, of Palmer, hiked most of 218-mile trail in seven days with her mother, Beth Virgin, in 2017. When they heard about a new ultramarathon there called the Razorback Running Revival, they figured it would be a fun and different way… Read more »
Taylor Turney is the new king of obstacle course racing in Alaska. Turney, a 2013 graduate of Anchorage’s Service High School, wrapped up the 2019 Spartan Elite US Mountain Series in third place after taking eighth in the series-finale Saturday in New Jersey. Turney follows in the footsteps of Matt Novakovich, who first put Alaskans… Read more »
In just a few hours, Patrick Schmidt and Shauna Severson went from virtual unknowns to King and Queen of the Mountain. The unheralded runners each came from behind to win the Matanuska Peak Challenge, an event widely regarded as the toughest mountain race in Alaska. The race near Palmer climbs from the base of Lazy… Read more »
While in Sweden for a Nordic ski camp, Kendall Kramer jumped in a mountain running race. The skiing and running teenage phenom from Fairbanks placed second in the 13.5-kilometer Ulvang Kvartsmaraton on August 3 in Are, Sweden. She finished the course in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 34 minutes and was bested only by Norwegian… Read more »
Michael Connelly of Chugiak is a world championship bronze medalist. Representing Team USA, Connelly, 17, placed third in the Vertical Kilometer event at the International Skyrunning Federation Youth World Championships in Fonte Cerreto, Italy. Connelly posted a time of 42 minutes, 22 seconds, trailing only runners from Andorra and Spain in the Youth A Division… Read more »
Climbing and descending the steep slopes of Seward’s Mount Marathon one time is an accomplishment. For Joe Nyholm, a single trip is merely a warmup. On June 1, Nyholm completed a marathon on Mount Marathon by running and hiking 26.5 miles in 18.5 hours while climbing 35,902 vertical feet. “I didn’t feel worn down until… Read more »
