Nearly 100 brave 'Death by a Mile'

AKtive Soles and Skeetawk hosted the “Death by a Mile” race on Saturday at the Skeetawk Ski Area. Racers had an option to run four, six or 12 hours on a mile-and-a-half long course to finish as many laps as they could in the time allowed. This is the final endurance race of the season as people begin to look towards other outdoor disciplines for winter.

“The goal was for it to be a very low key race,” AKtive Soles Race Director Heidi Quinn said. “Come hang out with all of your friends [and] go run some loops.”

The race, in its second year at Skeetawk, was originally slated to occur at Reflections Lake along the flat mile-long loop. But with fall hunting seasons still going on, AKtive Soles decided to partner with Skeetawk to showcase the work they’ve done to be more inclusive with multiple outdoor disciplines.

“Skeetawk has been amazing to work with,” Quinn said. “They’ve really wanted to put endurance and running events on. They’ve opened their doors for us and we moved it up here.”

Nearly 100 racers were registered to compete in one of three race durations and start times. Interest and competitors have grown nearly 30 percent from last year. Some racers this year wore Halloween costumes for October and the “Death by a Mile” theme.

The trail, which incorporates a half mile uphill climb, half mile loop and half mile descent was smoothed out this year to make it a more enjoyable experience for racers. A frozen trail in the morning slowly thawed and made for slippery conditions later in the day. The weather stayed clear and sunny and racers were treated with views of the valley and the surrounding mountains as they pounded the trail.

One of the unique aspects of the race is the ability to blend a variety of racers competing in several different races at the same time, according to Quinn.

“This event is specifically fun because you really get a mix of really competitive people and then people who just want to come out and hike or walk or get time on feet,” Quinn said. “You don't really have that broad range of competitors. Usually the race itself is super competitive for an ultra, so this is fun to throw everybody in there. It's really for everyone.”

A portion of the proceeds from registration will go to Skeetawk. Drinks and snacks were available for purchase through Skeetawk and the Flourishing Artisan Foodtruck sold pizzas for hungry competitors.

Being able to host this race and others throughout the year while partnering with non-profits like Skeetawk are what makes Quinn’s job so enjoyable.

“I really feel honored to be able to direct these types of races,” Quinn said. “I'm so passionate about getting people outdoors and giving people opportunities to suffer and to challenge themselves.”