Good running reads (Read 1191 times)

 

Arlene Pieper finished the marathon in 1959, but a woman didn't do the race again until 1971. 

 

Thanks for that correction. I must have been looking at their course records which they didn't have any women until later. But doing a wildcard search turned the earlier finishers. (hadn't occurred to me to use that approach last night) I'll admit I was finding that hard to believe that no women were until until that light.

 

This page shows some of the course changes over the years with the winners. I wonder if the page I had looked at last night didn't go back to the original course (might have been short, although I understand present version is a bit long for marathon, so not sure)

http://www.skyrunner.com/ppresults/ppwinners.htm

 

Interesting that Marcie Trent from Anchorage had won both Pike's Peak Marathon in 1974 (5:23) and won Equinox in 1973 (4:40) and 1976 (4:25). As I understand it (before I was up here), Marcie was a significant force in the Anchorage running community - not just running but helping and organizing. Sadly, she and her son were the two runners killed by bear about 15 yr ago. (Her grandson escaped in a tree.)

I just saw that while looking through the News-Miner articles today. I didn't realize this was Steve Bainbridge's last year as RD until I was up there.

 

Gail Bakken-Johnson was at the post-race party and was one of three to receive the Founders' award. There was an interesting background talk leading up to the presentations. As they said, you wouldn't expect Fairbanks, AK, to be the hotbed of progressiveness in early 1960s, but they didn't know you weren't supposed to let women and kids in these races. They were about getting people out and doing an event in the great outdoors. Everybody was welcome.

Founders Awards

 

"Yea, let's do it" and implemented the race in about 6 months - none of the red tape of today. That's also what some of the issues are as subdivisions move in on trails, although most neighbors are supportive of it including setting up their own aid stations.

 

It's a race I've wanted to do for awhile since it's classic Alaska. I wasn't sure how I was going to like the race since it's now a hybrid between roads (lot more asphalt than I was expecting, and some of it stony) and trails where I"m used to more backcountry races where spectators might be bears. I'd never had mile posts or aid stations or people cheering from their driveways before so it was a really new experience for me. They even had the metal mile markers up for the 50k which just started last year. Each mile post is sponsored by someone, so it had some neat parallels to my  home trails.

 

For those not familiar with the race, it starts on U. of Alaska Fairbanks campus and heads out over some rolling trail, then up Ester Dome, and back down again - about 3700ft of up with about half of it in the climb up the Dome.

 

I really enjoyed the race and the atmosphere - and probably got the most value for my money of any of the 50k runners. (and glad I didn't cap my long run at 3 hrs)