Abigail Mayer is the winner of the 2026 Mount Marathon Race logo contest!

The logo will be printed on the 2026 racer and volunteer t-shirts, stickers, patches and other promotional efforts.

Mayer, an Anchorage native, said the grittiness of Alaska and the Mount Marathon Race inspired her design.

“Alaska is a gritty, beautiful place that you have to see and experience firsthand to really understand,” Mayer said. “I wanted the design for the logo to reflect that and feel like it had physically been carved out of the mountain, in the same way that the Mount Marathon race and everyone who participates gets to be a part of the mountain itself.”

Mayer, who won $250 for her winning design, used a block print technique to achieve her desire effect.

“To get that ‘gritty,’ mountain hewn look, I physically created several linocut prints of the design with variations by carving the mirror image out of a rubber block and using printer’s ink to produce the design on paper,” Mayer said.  “Once the prints dried, I scanned copies for digital editing and combined elements from each until I was happy with the final product.”

Mayer has personal connection to Mount Marathon as her father, Stephen, will be participating for the 10th time in 2026 while her brother, Matthew, will make his debut in the men’s division. She has never raced Mount Marathon but has spectated many times.

“It’s become a family affair for us and I’m excited to get to be a part of it in a new way this year, with the logo,” she said.

Mayer studied graphic design for two years at Abilene Christian University and now works at an advertising/public relations firm in Austin, Texas.

The 2026 racer shirt will have Mayer’s all-white logo on a black shirt while the volunteer shirt, which aims for great visibility, will be white-on-red.