Runners race through fog, up mountain

PALMER — Fatigued from a 3,700-foot climb, in the clouds with 10 feet of visibility, a grunting sound starts as a dark form emerges from the fog.

Runners sounded more like grizzly bears than athletes on the trail of this year’s Government Hill Peak Climb. The event held Saturday marks the beginning of the 2009 Mountain Runners Grand Prix, a series of six races held around the state.

The race, which began at the Mountain Streams Bed and Breakfast off of Palmer-Fishhook, sent the runners three and a half miles with a total elevation gain of around 3,700 feet, race organizer Mark Strabel said.

However, the elevation gain is not spread out evenly over the course. The first section is relatively flat, winding through meadows and streams for the first mile. After this scenic sprint, runners are punished for the second section as the trail runs straight up the face of the hillside. Once out of the tree line, the racers run across a ridge to the top of the peak.

With the low-elevation cloud cover yesterday and no wind, the ridge was other-worldly but perfect for a day of running.

The Government Hill Peak Climb was added to the circuit three years ago. Organizers of the Grand Prix were looking for a route that would open early in the season, Strabel said. As his parents own Mountain Streams, and the trail starts right in his back yard, Strabel had the perfect solution.

“Government Peak gets blasted by the winds, and it faces south,” said Strabel. “It’s free of snow very early.”

With ideal racing conditions — overcast and no winds — the times recorded by the 113 racers on the uphill-only race were very fast compared to the past two years.

In the men’s division, Brent Knight took first with a time of 47 minutes and 53 seconds. Trond Flagstad followed less than two minutes behind, and Eric Strabel took third.

Aubrey Smith was the first woman to the summit, finishing in one hour and 23 seconds. She was followed closely by Karen Williams in second and Alisa Kincaid in third.

The next event in the Mountain Runners Grand Prix is the Bird Ridge run on June 21, followed by Mount Marathon, Crow Pass Crossing, Matanuska Peak Challenge and Alyeska Mountain run. Points are determined by what place the racers finish, and the winner is announced at the awards banquet on August 23. Go to www.alaskamountainrunners.org for more details.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.

2009 Government Peak Hill Climb

Saturday, Palmer

Men’s individual results (3.5-mile):

1. Brent Knihts 47:53.6; 2. Trond Flagstad 49:13.8; 3. Eric Strabel 50:07.5; 4. Barney Griffith 50:35.5; 5. Tor Christopherson 50:42.6; 6. Brad Precosky 50:47.0; 7. Hugh Gren 51:43.2; 8. Mike Kramer 52:23.6; 9. Erik Mundahl 52:48.9; 10. Alex Alonso 53:49.2; 11. Robert Whitney 54:01.7; 12. Mark Brady 54:08.9; 13. Willie Stoll 54:42.0; 14. Matt Novakovich 55:12.2; 15. Tony Slatonbarker 55:1.0; 16. Ben Ward 55:56.0; 17. David Apperson 56:05.1; 18. Andrew Stavich 56:41.8; 19. Erik Schoen 57:05.2; 20. John Collins 58:34.3; 21. Brian Stoecker 59:20.8; 22. Chris Clark 59:36.0; 23. Lance Kopsack 59:44.5; 24. Lyon Kopsack 59:49.2; 25. Darren Hull 1:01:34.2; 26. Bill Pearson 1:02:07.8; 27. Braun Kopsack 1:02:56.4; 28. Laddie Shaw 1:03:01.7; 29. Paul Peltnikoff 1:03.01.17; 30. Tom Smayda 1:03:51.4; 31. Clarence Ess 1:04:08.8; 32. Davis Dunlap 1:04:55.3; 33. David Rebischke 1:05:18.2; 34. Brad Benter 1:05:34.1; 35. Matt Peters 1:05:44.7; 36. Chris Wood 1:05:59.7; 37. Blake Huppert 1:07:00.3; 38. Joshua Allely 1:07:43.5; 39. Christian Page 1:08:11.6; 40. Aaron Brillhart 1:08:14.8; 41. Rodney Anderson 1:08:53.3; 42. Keegan Crow 1:09:05.3; 43. Allen McLeod 1:09:53.7; 44. Sean Clifton 1:10:04.3; 45. Dave Kochendorfer 1:10:16.1; 46. Jim McDonough 1:10:45.9; 47. Kevin Vig 1:11:32.7; 48. Charlie Ess 1:11:44.3; 49. Robert Huppert 1:11:49.3; 50. Ryan Harrington 1:12:09.1; 51. Aaron Christie 1:12:32.0; 52. Roger Kempell 1:12:51.7; 53. Karl Swanson 1:13:00.5; 54. Leif Johnson 1:13:03.3; 55. James Murray 1:13:14.2; 56. Andrew Hubbell 1:13:14.5; 57. John Zebutis 1:14:11.5; 58. Ed Strabel 1:15:16.8; 59. Greg Brown 1:19:29.0; 60. Norm Johnson 1:20:03.6; 61. Jon Agosti 1:22:10.5; 62. Larry Lynn 1:23:15.1; 63. Jeff Bool 1:24:06.1; 64. Evan Steinhauser 1:24:22.6; 65. Brian Baus 1:25:36.9; 66. Chuck Paldanius 1:26:20.7; 67. Liam Whiteman 1:28:12.7; 68. Patrick Dougherty 1:29:41.9; 69. Don McQuown 1:30:58.3; 70. Chris Jones 1:31:51.8; 71. Roe Sturgulewski 1:32:47.1; 72. Russ Dunlap 1:35>49.4; 73. Corky Corthell 1:44:46.5; 74. Benjamin Baxter 2:17:28.8.

Women’s individual results (3.5-mile):

1. Aubrey Smith 1:00:23.6; 2. Karen Williams 1:01:08.5; 3. Alisa Kincaid 1:01:52.7; 4. Jane Senaga 1:02:00.8; 5. Ellyn Brown 1:02:17.5; 6. Leslie Varys 1:03:35.9; 7. Kate Arduser 1:03:40.1; 8. Chrissy May 1:04:59.9; 9. Eeva Latosuo 1:06:02.5; 10. Kate Fitzgerald 1:06:22.7; 11. Mary Barrett 1:06.47.1; 12. Jamie Brillhart 1:06:52.9; 13. Sanya Krenzelok 1:08:56.0; 14. Kevi Keger 1:10:53.8; 15. Jane Baldwin 1:11:16.7; 16. Tracy Houser 1:11:57.8; 17. Erika Downs 1:13:51.9; 18. Elaine Nelson 1:16:39.7; 19. Cheryl Ess 1:16:42.1; 20. Stacy Johnson 1:19:22.2; 21. Kristi Shea 1:19:31.7; 22. Rebecca Woodward 1:19:54.8; 23. Laura Cluberton 1:21:18.2; 24. Amber McDongough 1:21:19.3; 25. Kelly Paldanius 1:22:39.3; 26. Jana Ozturgut 1:25:50.7; 27. Meagan Lynn 1:26:58.6; 28. Yarrow Griffith 1:29:32.2; 29. Katherine Ellsworth 1:34:00.6; 30. Sandy Johnson 1:40:09.3; 31. Cathy Endes 1:43:52.5; 32. Amara Liggett 1:47:04.6; 33. Annette Jones 2:11:46.3; 34. Greta Baxter 2:17:26.0; 35. Ashleigh Farris 3:10:15.4.