Crazy Lazy mountain race set to kick of spring and mountain racing season

PALMER— About 250 adults are currently registered for 2019 Crazy Lazy Mountain Race, with 65 on the waiting list, according to Dane Crowley one of the three event founders and race directors. He said the race, which starts Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Lazy Mountain Trailhead, marks the fifth anniversary and the official kick off to the 2019 mountain running season.

“There’s at least 300 people that think it’s pretty good idea,” Crowley said.

Crowley said that John Clark and Karen Looney are the other two founders. He said they talked about the idea for a couple years before finally unveiling the first race in 2015 with about 50 racers. He said that over the years, the event has grown and continues to attract more people.

“If you win our race, you get the golden ticket to Mount Marathon as well,” Crowley said.

Crowley said that the Crazy Lazy is one of several races like the Government Peak Climb and Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb (Bird Ridge) that mountain runners across the state can use to gain entry to the coveted Mount Marathon Race in Seward. He said that the Crazy Lazy now serves as the first official race of the season and people come from all over the state to compete in it.

Crowley said that he lives near the base of Lazy Mountain and running up and down it has become part of his normal routine. He said that prior to establishing the Crazy Lazy, there was no spring mountain race and people had to wait for summer to compete with each other.

“I’ve been climbing Lazy Mountain for 20 years and it’s kind of my home mountain. It’s just a fun place to run in the spring and we just wanted to share that spring mountain running with the rest of the mountain running community,” Crowley said.

The Crazy Lazy is a six-mile loop, according to Crowley. He said that the adult racers, both men and women run together with chips to mark their times. He said there’s a kids’ uphill only race which is about one mile to the picnic bench. He said that they will have winners for each of the groups.

Crowley said racers will run up the front of Lazy, not quite to the very top but close, figure-eighting near the top ridges, looping back down the east ridge to the Mat Peak Trail down to the Morgan Horse Trail and eventually back to the parking lot. He said most people think of just going up the front side of Lazy but this route is less steep and less slippery with more scenery to boot.

“It’s really scenic and it’s a lot more runnable,” Crowley said.

Entry fees are $30. Crowley said they donate most of the money they make to the community, supporting children’s sporting programs like the Palmer High girls soccer team. He said they’ve given away about $12,000 to $15,000 since 2015.

“We pretty much give all that money away. We save a little bit of startup money for next year. Otherwise, we give all that money to youth activities and youth sports,” Crowley said.

Crowley noted that in spite of the name, Lazy Mountain is an effective work out for any type of person. He said it’s a tough hill that doesn’t relent.

“It never eases up on you, you’re always bound to get a workout regardless of your fitness level,” Crowley said.

There will be a post-race celebration at Arkose Brewery after the event. Racing begins at 11 a.m. and the event should be over around 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., according to Crowley.

Adult registration: www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=166401

Youth registration: www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=166411

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com