Rookie wins Mat Peak Challenge

PALMER — A rookie bested the veteran during arguably Alaska’s most grueling mountain race.

Lars Arneson tackled 14 miles and about 9,100 feet of elevation gain in 3 hours and 7 minutes to win the annual Matanuska Peak Challenge Aug. 5 near Palmer.

Arneson, in the race for the first time, beat runner-up Matias Saari, a three-time Mat Peak champ, by about a dozen minutes. Saari finished with a time of 3:19. Saari was third in the race last year.

Ann Spencer cut more than 15 minutes of her time from last year en route to a win in the 2017 women’s class. Spencer finished at the 3:45 mark to grab her first Mat Peak women’s title. She finished third, with a time of 4:02 last year. This year, Spencer was the lone athlete in the women’s class to crack the 4-hour mark. Briana Sullivan was the women’s runner up, with a time of 4:02.

Spencer’s time also placed her seventh overall.

Peter Marmol (3:30), Tom Ritchie (3:39) and Galen Johnston (3:41) rounded out the top 5, and Jacob Walsh (3:42) finished sixth overall.

The race starts and finishes at the Lazy Mountain Trailhead, and there is a lot of climbing in between. The course sends competitors up Lazy Mountain, and from there it’s down the backside of the mountain and up Matanuska Peak. During the second half of the race, runners head back down Mat Peak to the Lazy Mountain Trailhead by way of Lazy Mountain.

The Mat Peak Challenge is part of the Alaska Mountain Runners Grand Prix. The seven races in the series also include the Crazy Lazy, Kal’s Knoya Ridge Run, Government Peak Climb, Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb, Mount Marathon and the Cirque Series, slated for Saturday in Girdwood. The Alaska Mountain Runners Awards Banquet is Aug. 27 at the Peanut Farm in Anchorage.

Those competing in the Grand Prix are awarded points based on their finishes in the seven races.

For complete results from the Mat Peak Challenge, see frontiersman.com/sports.

Men’s results:

1. Lars Arneson, 3:07:57; 2. Matias Saari, 3:19:25; 3. Peter Mamrol, 3:30:48; 4. Tom Ritchie, 3:39:34; 5. Galen Johnston, 3:41:24; 6. Jacob Walsh, 3:42:41; 7. Christopher Kirk, 3:52:53; 8. Peter Renner. 4:03:28; 9. Brad Kohring, 4:06:59; 10. Jimmy Sliwa, 4:10:58; 11. Keegan Crow, 4:14:02; 12. Stephen Fink, 4:17:28; 13. Joe Nyholm, 4:18:50; 14. Michael Quimby, 4:19:39; 15. Bodhi Gross, 4:24:19; 15. (tie) Ali Palilion, 4:24:19; 17. Mike Ottenweller, 4:25:41; 18. Brad Benter, 4:27:58; 19. Bryan Hitchcock, 4:34:55; 20. Dan Brokaw, 4:38:40; 21. Roman Gross, 4:42:17; 22. Mark Brady, 4:47:14; 23. Paul Pletnikoff, 4:49:03; 24. Greg Stocer, 4:49:12; 25. Josl Hejl, 4:57:33; 26. Joe Bentel, 4:57:34; 27. James Miller, 4:59:26; 28. Luke Rosier, 5:01:45; 29. Dorian Gross, 5:03:22; 30. Marek Kolendo, 5:05:00; 31. Braun Kopsack, 5:11:18; 32. Justin Smole, 5:18:48; 33. Nathaniel Knapp, 5:25:42; 34. Stephen Mayer, 5:27:40; 35. Craig Miller, 5:47:33; 36. Erik Keskula, 5:48:13; 37. Ryan Bandy, 5:50:09; 38. Thomas Burton, 5:55:30; 39. Nick Carl, 6:01:41; 40. Andrew Bashor, 6:10:25; 41. Marty Lindeke, 6:11:59; 42. Dylan Garbe, 6:16:16; 43. Lucas Arthur, 6:22:06; 44. Pat McAnally, 6:35:04; 45. David Johnston, 6:41:13; 46. Carl Bassler, 6:50:42; 47. Sean Ulman, 6:55:34; 48. Brian Veatch, 7:21:55; 49. Evan Steinhauser, 7:26:54; 50. Chris Bowman, 7:48:25; 51. Daniel Delfino, 8:31:11.

Women’s results:

1. Ann Spencer, 3:45:06; 2. Briana Sullivan, 4:02:46; 3. Allison Barnwell, 4:18:39; 4. Wendy Sailors, 4:37:21; 5. Justine Reese, 4:41:03; 6. Mackenize Barnwell, 4:48:41; 7. Jennifer Aschoff, 4:48:41; 8. Andrea Fountain, 4:59:38; 9. Melanee Stiassny, 5:06:53; 10. Teri Buck, 5:11:36; 11. Eva Stuart, 5:34:05; 12. Leah Legate, 5:35:03; 13. Heather Moon, 5:36:02; 14. Danielle Ryman, 5:36:56; 15. Amanda Compton, 5:47:11; 16. Carrie Koso, 6:02:48; 17. Ellyn Brown, 6:09:28; 18. Kari Konrath-Bera, 6:14:33; 19. Kathleen Morrison, 6:51:11; 20. Sadie Ulman, 6:55:34; 21. Linda Rao, 7:47:59.