Ultimate test: Participants of Susitna 100 go to extreme

Feb. 20, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

BIG LAKE - What's it like to run, hike and sleepwalk across (approximately) 100 miles of frozen Alaska wilderness?

According to Anchorage's Walter McAllister, that's a pretty easy question to answer.

“It was long. Very long,” McAllister said after finally crossing the finish line of the Susitna 100 Sunday afternoon, more than a day after he began his trek.

“Finally - that's the exact word,” a relieved McAllister said, pausing to catch his breath.

Sixty racers began the Susitna 100 Saturday morning, riding bicycles, skiing or, like McAllister, making the trek on foot.

Participants came from seven states and two foreign countries to test themselves against the elements in one of the most trying cross-country races in the world.

By Monday morning the final stragglers were off the trail. All but three of the original field finished the race - for most, the ultimate goal.

“Get to the finish line, that's all I was thinking,” Anchorage's Tyler Johnson said after the race.

However, not everyone was just in the race to make it back home in one piece.

Pete Basinger, of Anchorage, was the overall winner, biking the trail in just 10 hours, 41 minutes.

J.T. Lindholm, of Eagle River, was the top skier in the race, completing the course in 14 hours, 15 minutes.

And Juneau's Jeff Roes was the best on his feet, running 100 miles in 21 hours, 43 minutes.

Janice Tower of Anchorage was the first woman across the finish line, biking her way to a time of 14 hours, 9 minutes.

Anchorage's Karen Loso was the top female skier in 21 hours, 52 minutes.

Laura McDonough of Anchorage completed the course in 1 day, 1 hour and 13 minutes to win the women's foot race.

The race has been going on - in some form - or the past 20 years, but only in its current incarnation since 1997. That's when the various “Idita” sports - biking, skiing and running along the historic Iditarod trail - were combined into one event.

“In 1997 we put everything together,” race director Rita Wade said.

The trail beings near Big Lake and crosses frozen swamps out to the Little Susitna River and then on to Flathorn Lake. From there, racers head out to the Yentna River before turning around and heading or home.

In all, Wade said the route is actually a little longer than 100 miles - a fact that didn't seem to be lost on some of the finishers.

“I had no clue how far it was,” Tyler Johnson said. “All those swamps look the same. You just keep going and going.”

Wade said this year's field of racers was somewhat lucky, as sunny skies and a firm, well-groomed trail made or easy going most o the way.

“This is a very good trail year,” she said.

No matter how good the trail is, however, making a long-distance trek in winter isn't easy. Participants must deal with sleep deprivation, cold and hunger as they slog their way, mile after mile, toward home.

Although they're required to bring survival gear, perhaps the biggest danger along the trail is the danger of giving up.

“So much of it is in your head,” Wade said.

McAllister said he tried to stay upbeat along the way, although he admitted he found himself falling asleep a couple times in the middle of the trail.

“I leaned up against a tree a couple times and fell asleep. The problem was, when I woke up I didn't know which direction I was going,” he said. “I saw which direction my sled was pointing and figured that had to be the right way.”

Temperatures along the course dropped down to around zero degrees Fahrenheit overnight, though racers said it was colder along the rivers.

“When you'd get on the rivers it would drop 10 degrees instantly,” Tyler Johnson said.

Most of the participants are year-round outdoor and exercise enthusiasts who are simply looking for a new way to challenge themselves.

Greg Matyas won the bike division of the shorter Little Su 50-kilometer race Saturday. He said racing outdoors in winter is a great way to keep his motor going during a time of year when it's easy to lie on the couch and wait for summer.

“I just use this to stay motivated, to stay in shape,” Matyas said.

Staying motivated and in shape during the winter is a great excuse or heading out on a cross country race, but competitors said it's hard to train for. Hardly anyone does 100-mile training runs, so for many of the competitors, the Susitna was the longest race of the year - or even their lives.

“I've had friends that had done it, but I never had,” Walter McAllister said. “They can tell you all kinds of stuff about what it's like, but they can't prepare you for it.”

Once it's over, however, most competitors seemed to agree the race was worth it - though some weren't sure they'd be back for more next year.

“As me when I wake up,” McAllister said.

Little Su 50-kilometer

BIG LAKE - Anchorage's Greg Matyas won his second consecutive Little Su 50-kilometer race Saturday, biking the course in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 30 seconds to outpace second-place Joe Pollock of Anchorage by more than 20 minutes.

“I just started opening it up a little bit at a time,” Matyas said.

Riding a specialized bike equipped with super fat tires designed for snow, Matyas said he had little trouble negotiating the hard-packed course.

Anchorage's Jeremy Fisher was the top men's skier in 4 hours, 4 minutes and 26 seconds, while Evan Hone of Wasilla finished first in the foot race, completing the course in 4:26:47.

Nina Volkova of Anchorage was the top women's finisher, biking the trail in 4:18:40 to beat Becky King of Anchorage by 11 minutes. Cheryl Matyas was the third woman across the finish line in 4:41:30 to win the ski race.

Wasilla's Christine Cannard was the first woman to finish on foot, completing the course in just over six hours.

Contact Matt Tunseth at

352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com

Susitna 100

Saturday

All Finishers

1. Pete Basinger, Anchorage, (bike) 10 hours, 41 minutes; 2. Tom Peichel, Anchorage, (bike) 11:22, 3. Jim Jager, Anchorage, (bike) 12:26; 4. Jacques Boutet, Anchorage, (bike)13:23; 5. James Stull, Anchorage, (bike) 13:40; 6. Janice Tower, Anchorage, (bike) 14:09; 7. J. T. Lindholm, Eagle River, (ski) 14:15; 8. Robbie Cant, Anchorage, (ski) 15:04; 9. Chet Fehrmann, Anchorage, (ski) 16:01; 10. Amber Stull, Anchorage, (bike)16:23; 11. Paul Lester, Cooma, Australia, (bike) 16:38; 12. Steve Tower, Anchorage, (bike) 16:55; 13. Chris Wrobel, Anchorage, (ski) 17:59; 14. Anthony Oliva, Anchorage, (bike) 18:18; 15. Mike Morganson, Anchorage, (bike) 19:07; 16. John Shook, Fairbanks, (ski) 19:11; 17. Ted Cahalane, Anchorage, (bike) 20:43; 18. Jill Homer, Juneau, (bike) 20:50; 19. Geoff Roes, Juneau, (foot) 21:43; 20. Karen Loso, Anchorage, (ski) 21:52; 21. Caroline Van Hemert, Anchorage, (bike) 21:52; 22. John Stamstad, Seattle, (foot) 23:54; 23. David Hart, Anchorage, (bike) 23:57; 24. Frank Cahill, Anchorage, (ski)1 day, 0 minues, 13 seconds; 25. Sheryl Mohwinkel-Fleming, Anchorage, (ski) 1:00:14; 26. Shelly Schwenn, Anchorage, (ski) 1:00:14; 27. Glenn Mackie, Highland Village, Texas, (foot) 1:00:21; 28. Rorik Peterson, Fairbanks, (foot) 1:00:38; 29. Laura McDonough, Anchorage, (foot) 1:01:13; 30. Joel Wattum, Wasilla, (foot) 1:01:13; 31. Kim Kittredge, Palmer, (bike), 1:01:53; 32. Super Al Mitchell, Anchorage, (bike) 1:01:53; 33. Mike Beiergrohslein, Eagle River, (ski) 1:03:35; 34. Tom Coolidge, Anchorage, (ski) 1:03:35; 35. Tom Hunt, Anchorage, (ski) 1:03:39; 36. Andrew matulionis, Whitefish, MT, (foot) 1:03:52; 37. Robert Taylor, Anchorage, (ski) 1:04:13; 38. Frank McGuire, Anchorage, (bike), 1:05:09; 39. Jamshid Khajavi, Kirkland, WA, (foot) 1:05:33; 40. John Collins, Anchorage, (foot) 1:05:49; 41. Scott Vincik, Anchorage, (ski) 1:06:13; 42. Tyler Johnson, Anchorage, (foot) 1:06:31; 43. Walter McAllister, Anchorage, (foot) 1:06:43; 44. Veronica Beagan, Anchorage, (foot) 1:06:55; 45. Jane Baldwin, Anchorage, (foot) 1:08:27; 46. Andy Pfeiffer, Ft. Wainwright, (bike) 1:10:05; 47. Joey Williams, Fairbanks, (bike) 1:10:05; 48. Chris Allard, Anchorage, (ski) 1:10:20; 49. Sharon Sell, Anchorage, (ski) 1:10:38; 50. Mark Titzel, Anchorage, (ski) 1:10:38; 51. Pete Hjellen, Anchorage, (foot) 1:10:49; 52. Ron Nicholl, Anchorage, (foot) 1:13:30; 53. Shannon Rochelle, Palmer, (foot) 1:14:47; 54. John Wells, Anchorage, (foot) 1:16:20; 55. Marco Brignoli, Brescia, Italy, (foot) 1:19:35; 56. Yvonne goldsmith, Anchorage, (ski) 1:20:13; 57. Ken Greenberg, Littleton, Colo. (foot) 1:24:34.

Little Su 50

Saturday

Men: 1. Greg Matyas, Anchorage, (bike) 2 hours, 39 minutes, 30 seconds; 2. Joe Pollock, Anchorage, (bike) 3:03:00; 3. John Evingson, Anchorage, (bike) 3:13:00; 4. Anthony Berberich, Palmer, (bike) 3:23:58; 5. Ben Ball (bike), Anchorage, 3:32:36; 6. Bjarne Holm, Anchorage, (bike) 3:43:15; 7. Jonathan Riegler, Helena, MT, (bike) 3:48:24; 8. Jeff Swanstrum, Anchorage, (bike) 3:49:00; 9. Jeremy Fisher, Anchorage, (ski) 4:04:26; 10. Kevin DelDuca, Palmer, (bike) 4:13:46; 11. Brian Garcia, Anchorage, (bike) 4:20:43; 12. Hollis French, Anchorage, (ski) 4:22:25; 13. Jerry Pakonen, Anchorage, (bike) 4:22:30; 14. Evan Hone, Wasilla, (foot) 4:26:47; 15. Andrew Hodson, Denver, Colo., (bike) 4:31:23; 16. Peter Klebes, Anchorage, (ski) 4:33:20; 17. Adam Comer, Anchorage, (bike) 4:51:15; 18. Daniel Monroy, Anchorage, (foot) 4:52:42; 19. Michel Villon, Anchorage, (bike) 5:02:00; 20. Robert Voris, Eagle River, (bike) 5:08:55; 21. Kurt Bittlingmaier, Anchorage, (bike), 5:12:30; 22. Jeffrey Kellard, Anchorage, Bike 5:14:20; 23. Scott Jensen, Anchorage, (bike) 5:19:40; 24. David Johnston, Wasilla, (foot) 5:21:50; 25. Jon Lyon, Anchorage, (ski) 5:24:40; 26. Jason Moore, Anchorage, (bike) 5:34:32; 27. Thomas Miller, Anchorage, (bike) 5:44:44; 28. Tim Middleton, Anchorage, (ski) 5:49:54; 29. Jim Hurd, Anchorage, (ski) 5:51:37; 30. Ed Bennett, Chugiak, (foot) 6:00:17; 31. Tony Perelli, Anchorage, (foot) 6:06:16; 32. Jim Reeves, Anchorage, (ski) 6:06:22; 33. Neil McMahon, Anchorage, (ski) 6:11:26; 34. Kevin Vig, Palmer, (foot) 6:11:51; 35. Aaron Ramirez, Anchorage, (ski) 6:13:02; 36. Hans Brugge, Anchorage, (bike) 6:19:11; 37. Dane Crowley, Palmer, (bike) 6:25:06; 38. John Ingold, Anchorage, (ski) 6:27:11; 39. Michael Valiquette, Girdwood, (ski) 6:28:00; 40. Travis Peltier, Anchorage, (bike) 6:54:11; 41. Robert Werner, Anchorage, (ski) 6:57:13; 42. Ethan Caldwell, Fairbanks, (foot) 7:00:03; 43. Christopher Todd, Ft. Wainwright, (ski) 7:22:26; 44. Mikal Hendee, Anchorage, (ski) 7:28:47; 45. James Mayers, Anchorage, (bike) 7:55:26; 46. Christopher Lutes, Anchorage, (foot) 8:09:21; 47. Jason Charton, Anchorage, (ski) 8:23:44; 48. Paul Verrier, Anchorage, (foot) 8:40:23; 49. Shawn Brown, Kenai, (foot) 8:40:24; 50. Joshua Hull, Fairbanks, (foot) 9:01:35; 51. Jeff Jensen, Evergreen, Colo., (foot) 9:01:36; 52. Brian Gillin, Denver, Colo., (foot) 9:01:37; 53. Charles Utermohle, Anchorage, (foot) 9:26:41; 54. Rick Carr, Rowlett, TX., (foot) 10:11:32; 55. Robert Hildebrandt, Fairbanks, (foot) 10:59:00; 56. Ron Nelson, Wasilla, (foot) 11:07:00.

Women: 1. Nina Volkova, Anchorage, (bike) 4:18:40; 2. Becky King, Anchorage, (bike) 4:29:55; 3. Cheryl Matyas, Anchorage, (ski) 4:41:30; 4. Susan Stokes, Anchorage, (ski) 4:41:30; 5. Laura Pillifant, Soldotna, (ski) 4:53:20; 6. Lesley Yamauchi, Anchorage, (bike) 4:56:33; 7. Teri Ann Arion, Anchorage, (ski) 5:09:46; 8. Anne Johnson, Juneau, (ski) 5:30:38; 9. Jennifer Faralan, Anchorage, (ski) 5:30:43; 10. Christine Cannard, Wasilla, (foot) 6:00:17; 11. Claire Connelly, Chugiak, (foot) 6:06:25; 12. Melanie Bladow, Anchorage, (ski) 6:11:25; 13. Mary Barrett, Palmer, (foot) 6:32:08; 14. Julie Beatty, Homer, (foot) 6:38:00; 15. Annika Buck, Anchorage, (foot) 6:45:16; 16. Jovy Roach, Anchorage, (bike) 6:54:12; 17. Janelle Gomez, Anchorage, (foot) 6:56:49; 18. Jeanne Schaaf, Anchorage, (foot) 6:57:12; 19. Renee Rudd, Anchorage, (foot) 6:57:40; 20. Aurora Agee, Anchorage, (foot) 6:58:43; 21. Janet Tune, Anchorage, (foot) 7:27:19; 22. Karen Williams, Anchorage, (foot) 7:27:25; 23. Pam Richter, Anchorage, (foot) 7:27:38; 24. Beryl Anderson, Eagle River, (foot) 7:27:40; 25. Anne Williams, Eagle River, (foot) 7:27:41; 26. Pam Cravez, Anchorage, (ski) 7:53:20; 27. Ruth Glenn, Anchorage, (ski) 8:11:34; 28. Darlene Dubay, Anchorage, (foot) 9:26:40; 29. Alycia Beiergrohslein, Eagle River, (foot) 10:11:33; 30. Jeannie Snuggerud, Anchorage, (foot) 10:11:34; 31. Meg Kurtagh, Anchorage, (foot) 11:00:00; 32. Joan Nelson, Wasilla, (foot) 11:07:00.