Race Committee Duties and Vacancies

The Mount Marathon Race Committee creates the race rules and organizes and executes much of the volunteer work vital to successfully holding the event. The committee generally meets monthly from January to August, with additional meetings leading up to the race and for determining the logo contest winner and considering petition requests. Major rule changes and other decisions are also approved by the Seward Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since the Chamber owns the event.
The committee has vacancies from time to time. If you are interested in potentially serving on the committee, contact race director Matias Saari at director@mountmarathon.com

Karol Fink, Committee Member (Term expiress Fall 2024)

Karol Fink moved to Seward in 1995 and decided it was the best place on earth. She first raced in 1997 and joined the race committee in 2003. She has completed more than 20 Mount Marathon races and is a jack-of-all-trades on the race committee, helping with race operations, registration, web updates, awards and maintaining historical records.

Amy Haddow, Committee Member (Term expires Fall 2024)

Amy Haddow of Seward first ran the Mount Marathon in 2005 at the age of 44 and then ran every year until 2012, with a best of 105th place in 2011. Amy is a big thinker and problem solver. She takes on tasks and gets them done.

Mary Beth Koster, Committee Member (Term expires Fall 2024)

Mary Beth (Zimmerle) Koster of Seward finished the Mount Marathon Race 22 times between 1998-2021, missing only 2009 (for an out-of-town celebration) and 2020 (due to the pandemic cancellation). She achieved her best time of 1:17:38 at the age of 50 in 2015. Her in-town home is used as a “base camp” for friends and family training on the mountain, and each family member has participated in the race. She was happy to become part of the race committee in 2022; her duties include helping coordinate the start and finish line operations.

Geri Nipp, Committee Member (Term Expires Fall 2023)

Geri Nipp of Seward serves as the Mount Marathon Race Committee’s liaison with the Seward Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She serves as the start and finish coordinator on race day.

Stephanie Wright, Committee Member (Term Expires Fall 2023)

Stephanie Wright, of Seward, auctioned in to the 2008 Mount Marathon and remains an active racer. Her best result was 57th place in 1:14:40 in 2019. She also serves as the race’s Volunteer Coordinator and can be reached at volunteer@mountmarathon.com. She knows everyone in Seward, solves problems quickly, communicates clearly, and makes sure all volunteers have what they need to help the race be successful.

Matias Saari, Race Director

Matias Saari became Race Director in 2019; he also directs the Crow Pass Crossing and Kesugi Ridge Traverse. He is also president of the Alaska Mountain Runners nonprofit organization. Saari works as the event support coordinator for the Healthy Futures nonprofit in Anchorage. He is a former sportswriter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, author of The Equinox: Alaska’s Trailblazing Marathon and current contributor to the Alaska Sports Report. Saari won the 2009 Mount Marathon Race and finished in the Top 4 seven straight times between 2008-14. He can be contacted at director@mountmarathon.com.