Alaska.  Anchorage, Juneau…Cordova?  By far the smallest/most remote of my three Alaskan treks – but also, the most scenic.  Small fishing community on Prince William Sound.  Just over 2000 residents, accessible only by boat or by plane.  Day’s marathon route, the Copper River Highway, ends as the mountains get high.  Cut off from the lower 48; British Columbia borders east.

Early Saturday wakes, but well after Arctic sunrise.  Skies overcast; temps comfortable.  Run gods continue to smile.  5 July marathons, 5 unseasonably cool days.  Mile walk to Cordova’s Community Medical Center, 45-minute school bus ride to our Start.  Orange cone, line drawn on an empty dirt road.  Pre-race check-in, last minute announcements.  Been wetter & warmer this summer – no BEARS in town, more forest feeding vs dumpster diving.  [2018, one crossed the marathon course.]

13 miles of dirt, 13 miles of pavement.  Race Director assured no getting lost.  Literally ONE road across the peninsula, terminates in Cordova.  Inlet ocean both ends.  True point-to-point race.

Group photo.  Popped on tunes, but only one earbud – not gonna be bear FOOD.

[They say as long as you’re faster than the guy behind you.  Reality: I’m a back-of-the-pack runner.  Not super comforting.  Stand tall.  Yell?  Biggest thing I’d see all day were MOSQUITOS.]

Scenic postcard Alaska.  Massive snow-capped mountains.  Meadows full of summer – and swampy.  Glacier melt flooding creek beds with silt & grey-coloured water.  Not super eye-stunning but it’s part of the process.  Cooking the planet.  Arctic channels expected year-round by decade end.

Legs tight, left hamstring taped, hadn’t run in 6 days.  Sunday’s Quadzilla finish outside Portland.

Went out fast.  Pushed first 12 miles, coasted most of the second Half.  Hamstrings tight, both legs.  Body, feet banged up.  Too much running too short of time.  13 marathons past 3 months, FIVE different time zones.  Today, my last long run ‘til late August.

Dropped pace, talked to Halfers met on the back-end.  Continued my July streak of berry feasting.  Wild raspberries!

Lake Eyak last 3 miles.  Sun HIGH overhead.  Exposed road & warm.  BUGS, ‘tis the Alaska season: Gnat swarms & MOSQUITOS.  Inside my mouth/ears, ’round the eyes, welting backs of my legs/arms.  If nothing less, kept ya moving.  Run or be eaten alive.  Yikes!

FLAT FINISH & a new Alaska PR.  Shower, Salmon JAM & FOOD.  Happy, laid-back HOMETOWN VIBE 😊

Canadian Arctic next summer.  So long big wild beautiful Alaska, see ya 2021.  Fairbanks?

AK Salmon Runs Race Results

King Salmon Marathon, Cordova, Alaska

July 13, 2019

 

2646   04:42:05.1   K R HAGA   Louisville CO   M

Cordova ✈ Yakutat ✈ Juneau ✈ Seattle ✈ Denver

King Salmon Marathon

“We inter-breathe with the rain forests, we drink from the oceans.  They are part of our own body.”  ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Mountains & glaciers and marathoning too.

Totem Pole START

Late morning start.  How often have I said that?  School bus pickup 7:15am from the Juneau Library.  Largest building ‘downtown’ – in Juneau that’s maybe a quarter-mile long.  Small town locked between water & mountain peaks.  Absolutely no reason to have a car, unless you home on Douglas Island.  10% of the town’s population live on this Island, today’s marathon stop/start – Sandy Beach, a man-made shore to appease the locals during the region’s 45 days of summer.

Juneau Marathon: a true grassroots event.  Two/three key people & a whole lotta volunteers make this race happen.  No frills, course map drawn in orange chalk near the Start.  Out-n-back trek; Douglas Bridge (Island’s traffic connection to Juneau), course’s only landmark to maneuver.

Totem pole selfie, last minute instructions, on the road 10 minutes past 8.  Not the most scenic Start (considering this is ALASKA) but everything lush, GREEN & ‘Sunday morning’ quiet.  Digged our Start temps – 50’s in July?  FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC! says me, guy who melts in summer heat.

13 miles UP, 13 miles down.  Slight grade but always UP.  Reminiscent to January’s ultra with Sis, Hilo to Volcano.  Grey/cool/overcast or maybe just my 2018 love of everything UPHILL, but KILLED IT first Half.  Managed 9 min/pace first 12 miles, pushed thru & ran the hill at 13.  STRONG!

2nd Half, big FADE.  Stopped & soaked up Mendenhall Glacier miles 14 & 15.  WOW memory ❤️

Tagged along with two 50 Staters who took the early Start at 7am.  Ran/walked last 9 miles with Paula Boone – one of 2 Boones (husband Steve) who co-founded our 50 State Marathon Club.  GREAT heart, GREAT conversationalist.  Promotes childhood running (Marathon Challenge Program) in hometown Houston with proceeds from their January 1^st Texas Marathon.

Mile 25, sunshine.  26.2, FINISH pic w/ friends 🌞  Marathon #124, my second in Alaska.

Only one last Juneau hafta/gotta/must do (before flying HOME).  Alaskan King Crab.  Taste bud CELEBRATION!

Event Name     Juneau Marathon/Half Marathon 2018

Event Location     Savikko Park, Sandy Beach, Douglas

 

Event Description   The Marathon and Half Marathon are USATF-certified, out and back courses. The events are run at sea level on the lightly traveled, two-lane Douglas Highway/North Douglas Highway in Juneau, Alaska. By virtue of its certification, the marathon can be used as a time qualifier for the Boston Marathon. The moderately hilly course has been compared in difficulty to the Boston Marathon. The scenic course offers views of mountains, glaciers, forests, and the ocean. The start/finish is near the picnic shelter at Sandy Beach, in Douglas.

 

Event Date     2018-07-28 08:00:00

Race Distance     26.20 miles or 42.16 km

 

Global Overall Results

Bib       Name     Gender    Time        Hails From

88        KR HAGA     M     05:09:32     Louisville, CO