Mount Marathon News

Racer Email #2 – Course Info/Safety Tour/Jumbotron/Not Racing & More

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Mount Marathon racers — the 97th running is just 9 days away!

Please read the following important ANNOUNCEMENTS:1) MMR hosted a SAFETY TOUR on June 21. Another is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 (meet at 11:45 a.m.)! This is a great way to learn how to negotiate the lower third of the mountain. New this year, there is also the option to go to the top of the mountain (adults) or top of the junior course (juniors), which will fulfill the full-course requirement for first-timers. Details HERE:

2) Remember, FIRST-TIME RACERS must complete the ENTIRE course in training before bib pickup and sign a statement on July 3 that they have done so.

3) COURSE INFO: The mountain is constantly changing; currently there is still a sizable snowfield off the top and some unusual gravel piles when transitioning to rock. There are 6 signs that will help orient you to the various routes and their difficulty. There’s also a detailed signboard at the base of the mountain. Do your homework in person and by watching these short VIDEOS from the mountain (scroll down to find).

4) PLANS CHANGE or INJURED? If you are registered but not participating, please NOTIFY us as soon as possible because it helps with our planning.

5) There are still some VOLUNTEER spots in town and on the mountain! Please consider volunteering or having someone in your support crew do so. We especially need help with men’s crowd control (“Runner Safety Assistants”) and fencing teardown. Sign up HERE:

6) We will again have a LIVESTREAM BROADCAST of the women’s and men’s races on YouTube Live. Plus we’ll be running a separate Finish Cam for all 3 races! Links will be posted on our website’s Livestream page HERE and on social media. Spread the word and check out our YouTube Channel HERE and Facebook page HERE

7) New this year: We’ll have a JUMBOTRON near the finish line showing the Livestream!

8) See a sneak preview of our EVENT GUIDE HERE with also sorts of race and Fourth of July Festival info; every racer will also get a hard copy in the racer bag at bib pickup.

Stay tuned for upcoming messages and best wishes for your final training!
The Mount Marathon Race Committee &
Matias Saari, Race Director

2025 First-Timer Email #1 – IMPORTANT INFO!

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Mount Marathon First-time Racers (and junior parents) — please read this important information!

  • COURSE RECON REQUIREMENT — The race is in 15 days! Just a reminder that first-timers must complete the ENTIRE course in training — and sign a statement at bib pickup that they have done so — before they can collect their bib on July 3. NO EXCEPTIONS. If the first-timer is a junior, a parent or guardian must sign the statement.
  • COURSE KNOWLEDGE: It’s not too late to get prepared in person — the next two weeks will have a lot of traffic on the mountain — and by watching these short MMR instructional VIDEOS (scroll down page) and this excellent SAFETY VIDEO. Become familiar with the multiple route options onto and off the mountain.
  • SAFETY TOURS SATURDAY JUNE 21 and JUNE 28 — Safety tours led by experienced Mount Marathon racers are a great way for beginners to get tips on navigating up and down the lower third of the mountain. Meet near the gate on Upper Lowell Canyon Road at 11:45 a.m.; the events are free of charge. More info here: https://mountmarathon.com/safety-tours-6-21-6-28/. The June 28 tour will have an option for going to the top to fulfill the course recon requirement.
  • COURSE CONDITIONS – (Photo above was taken on June 20) It is advisable to practice the mountain whether it’s sunny or raining, dry or slippery! Currently the up route is in good shape all the way to the summit. The down trail for adults has a sizable snowfield right off the top. Who knows how much snow, if any, will remain on race day?
    After the snow ends are some unusual gravel piles to negotiate.
    The trail through the Gut (creek) requires care as always; on June 19 there was still a snow tunnel to run through! Note that conditions can change daily or even hourly: it might be raining the night of July 3 and the course could dry out by July 4, or vice-versa. The race will be held rain or shine!
  • SAFETY MEETING FOR FIRST-TIMERS — All first-timers must attend the safety meeting at 6:45 p.m. July 3 at the Seward High School gymnasium. First-time juniors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Bib distribution will occur immediately after the meeting.
  • NOT A ROOKIE?: A rookie is someone who has never entered MMR or who has never officially finished a Mount Marathon race in the allotted time. If you believe you (or your child) are incorrectly classified as a first-time racer, please email director@mountmarathon.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming messages and best wishes for your preparations!
The Mount Marathon Race Committee &
Matias Saari, Race Director

Bib and Wave Assignments Announced!

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Bib and wave assignments are now viewable by clicking on the roster links (men/women/boys/girls) at https://mountmarathon.com/2025-race-roster/

The website rosters are arranged by bib number, not by alphabetical order. Those who simply want to learn their bib number can search their name at RunSignup Participant Lookup here: https://runsignup.com/Race/RegistrationLookup/?raceId=114671

For men and women, waves were assigned as follows:

Wave 1 — Bibs 1-128
Wave 2 — Bibs 201-330
Wave 3 — Bibs 401-533

Juniors boys and girls will run together in a one combined wave, with boys assigned bibs 1-155 and girls assigned bibs 201-350.

The coveted Bib #1 has been assigned to defending champions David Norris (men), Klaire Rhodes (women) and Olive Jordan (girls) along with Vebjorn Flagstad (boys, 2nd place in 2024).

For detailed information about the wave and bib seeding processes, visit https://mountmarathon.com/waves-and-bib-seeding 
That page includes a Wave Change Request Form (deadline May 23) for those who believe their assignment is incorrect. 

RV & Tent Camping at Seward HS July 1-6!

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Need a place to park your RV or pitch your tent for the Mount Marathon Race & Fourth of July Festival?
You’re in luck as Seward High School is again offering family-friendly accommodations from July 1-6! The cost is $40/night for tents and $80/night for RVs, with a two-night minimum.
Details and reservation links here:

Mark the Date: Online Auction Set For Monday, April 28

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The Online Auction

Three men’s and three women’s race slots will be available in a live online auction via Zoom on Monday, April 28, 2025.
There is no auction for the juniors race.
The Online Auction gives Alaskans or out-of-staters additional planning time (compared to the July 3 auction) because they lock in a spot more than two months before race day.
In 2024, the winning online auction bids ranged from $1,500-$3,000.
Proceeds from the auction are used to help fund the Mount Marathon Race.

2025 Details

When: 5:30 p.m. Alaska Time on Monday, April 28
Number of available spots: 3 men’s PRIORITY spots and 3 women’s PRIORITY spots
Minimum bid: $200 for men and $200 for women
Minimum bid increments: $100
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83790066571?pwd=oEwqepSweZR0pAMzEvsC1L8jE2FpYE.1

Auction rules and instructions:

– Each participant must be set up to join a Zoom meeting (those lacking the technology or knowledge should join a friend’s or family member’s account).
– Participants are RECOMMENDED to join on a desktop computer or laptop with an Internet plan as opposed to a mobile phone that uses a data plan. The auction is better viewed on a computer. Also, being perfectly synched with the auctioneer’s voice for bidding purposes is more likely achieved on a computer.
– The Zoom site will open at 5 p.m. on Monday, April  28 (30 minutes before the auction starts) to allow participants time for testing their technology.
– The actual auction will start at 5:30 p.m. SHARP. The three men’s bibs will be auctioned first followed immediately by the three women’s bibs.
– The Seward Chamber of Commerce is NOT responsible for anyone whose bids fail to come through promptly due to connectivity issues or other technological problems.
– Gallery View will enable participants to see the auctioneer and other contestants.
– Participants will be muted by the auctioneer.
– All bidding must be done through the chat function (test the chat when you join by posting your name and location).
– If the person who intends to race is unable to attend the live auction, another person may bid for them.
– If you win an auction spot, stay on the Zoom! The Seward Chamber Director will direct message you for a phone number and then will call for payment information by credit card.
– Auction winners who have never entered the lottery will receive a registration link so they can added to the MMR database and entered for 2025.
– Auction winners will be Priority entrants in 2025, meaning they can keep priority status for the following year through the Top 50 Percent in Age Group Rule.
– The race director will determine auction winners’ bib and wave assignments based on their credentials.
– Those who fail to win an online auction spot have another chance for entry at the in-person auction at 6 p.m. July 3 at Seward High School. 7 men’s and 7 women’s spots will be auctioned then.

Katey Houser Wins Logo Contest

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Katey Houser is the winner of this year’s logo contest for her hand-drawn design of a downhill racer facing Resurrection Bay.
Houser, 21, is from Palmer and currently attends Montana State University, where she is a member of the cross country ski team.
Houser’s winning entry — which earned her $250 — is the first predominantly red, white and blue design since 2012. It will be printed on the 2025 racer and volunteer t-shirts and on other merchandise and promotional efforts.
Houser has six Mount Marathon finishes — three as a junior and three as a adult — and placed 10th overall in the women’s race in 2024. She’s entered again this year.
Isla Crouse of Kenai placed runner-up.
The Mount Marathon Race Committee, which selected the winner, thanks all 20 artists who took part in the annual contest this year.