Crazy Lazy run set for Saturday

WASILLA — Don’t let the name fool you. The Crazy Lazy Mountain Run already has become a serious contender in the Southcentral Alaska mountain running circuit in only its second year.

The 2016 edition is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Lazy Mountain trailhead off Huntley Road in Palmer. The course, a 7-mile, well-marked loop with more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain, starts and ends at the trailhead.

New this year is a youth race, which will begin right after the adult start. The kids’ event is an uphill-only race that finishes at the Lazy Mountain picnic table.

Last year’s inaugural race got the attention of the Alaska Mountain Runners, with some AMR members entering the 2015 event. The race was so well received that the group added the Crazy Lazy to its Grand Prix race list for 2016.

“We are really excited to be included in the Grand Prix,” said race organizer Dane Crowley. “A couple of the board members ran the race and loved it.”

The Crazy Lazy is the first of the 2016 Grand Prix races, which includes Kal’s Knoya Ridge Hill Climb on May 26; the Government Peak Climb on June 4; the Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb up Bird Ridge June 19; Mount Marathon in Seward July 4; the Matanuska Peak Challenge Aug. 6; and the Alyeska Classic Mountain Run Aug. 13.

Despite last weekend’s snowfall and a week’s worth of warm temperatures, Crowley said the trail was in pretty good shape.

“Sure, down low it’s slushy, but it’s better from about halfway on up,” Crowley said Tuesday. “We plan on going up Thursday and Friday to check things out closer to the race.”

Crowley did urge runners to think about traction.

“I would certainly think about microspikes or some other form of aggressive traction,” Crowley said. “Also, we are going to require racers to not carry trekking poles this year. They can be an issue with an uphill race.”

Palmer’s Ben Marvin won last year’s Crazy Lazy with a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes and 25 seconds, followed four seconds later by Colony High School graduate and current University of Alaska Fairbanks runner Lyon Kopsack.

In the women’s race, Alisa Kincaid took the win with a time of 1:32.25.

“I am expecting to see some pretty competitive folks this year,” Crowley said. “We’re hoping to get signups from around 150 people.”

Online registration closes Friday at midnight, while race-day signups also are available. The cost is $25 for both the adult and youth race and includes a T-shirt. The online registration site can be found at http://bit.ly/1T6tp8w

Crowley said the event is a great opener for the running season.

“For the most part, all the skiing is pretty much done,” Crowley said. “We’ve got great volunteers and a great running community ready to go.”

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com