Patterson is a two-time Olympian in cross-country skiing who registered the best result by an American man by placing eighth in the 50-kilometer race at the 2022 Winter Olympics. At the same Olympics, he placed 11th in the skiathlon. Patterson, of Anchorage, is also a top mountain runner who owns eight wins and the course record at the Crow Pass Crossing. His time of 2 hours, 50 minutes, 2 seconds in 2021 knocked nearly 5 minutes off the old Crow Pass Crossing record.