What started as a bet between two friends has become one of the biggest and oldest mountain races in the United States: Mount Marathon.
Words by Avery Williamson
Sprint half a mile on the road–you have to get a good spot before it bottlenecks.
Grab onto rocks and roots as you continue to climb.
Reach the summit.
Do it all over again on the way down.
Five kilometers.
3,022 feet.
This is what Seward’s Fourth of July race–the famous Mount Marathon–entails.
The History of Mount Marathon
According to folklore, the race began in 1915 when two friends argued about the possibility of scaling the mountain in less than an hour.
They arranged the race on the Fourth of July to settle the disagreement–with the loser having to supply drinks to the crowd.
The optimistic friend lost the bet as the fastest racer conquered the mountain in one hour and two minutes.
Over one hundred years later, Mount Marathon has reached new summits of popularity, with people across Alaska and the Lower 48 hoping to defeat the dangerous terrain.
Hosting the Race
Photo courtesy of Mount Marathon Race.
Much like the difficulty of scaling a 3,000-foot mountain, organizing such a popular race is no easy feat. That’s where race director Matias Saari comes in.
“I’m in charge of the hundreds of details that go into actually executing the race and what needs to happen,” said Saari.
This includes organizing and releasing the entries for the men, women, and junior races.
There are 375 people in both the men’s and women’s races and 300 people in the juniors race.
“It’s really unique that we have a separate woman’s race. We have equal numbers of women compared to men participating and when you look at most races, there are not as many women as men. That’s a pretty cool thing.”
Additionally, Saari is tasked with the responsibility of rule changes as the race continues growing in popularity.
A New Summit of Popularity
Over the last few years, Saari has made changes to the rules about requalifying for Mount Marathon to combat the growing popularity.
“[The popularity for the race] has been slowly building so more people are hearing about it and putting their names in,” Saari said.
The race really took off in 2015 when Kilian Jornet–who is widely regarded as the best trail runner in the world–came to run Mount Marathon.
His sponsorship with athletic gear maker Solomon also helped the race gain traction. “Solomon’s put on a few videos and I think that really helped expand the interest and made more people aware of it.”
While it’s amazing that people are traveling across the country to compete at Mount Marathon, the popularity comes with unique challenges for those looking to participate–both returning racers and newcomers alike.
Requalifying and the Lottery
Not just anyone can race Mount Marathon. Whether you’re a returning racer or a newcomer, there are standards you must meet to qualify.
As more racers become interested in the race, the Mount Marathon Race Committee has had to adjust the rules for qualifying.
“We’ve changed rules over the years to try and get more people into the race,” said Saari.
The previous rule for requalifying was you had to be top 225 overall in the race, “which was super generous and the majority of people were requalifying.”
Photo courtesy of Mick Dees.
Since Mount Marathon has become so popular, this didn’t leave a lot of room for newcomers to join.
“We were having too many people requalify and that left very few spots open for the lottery. Because of that, the lottery odds were super low and we didn’t feel that was very fair.”
The Mount Marathon Race Committee changed a few rules to combat this issue. “The current rule for requalifying is top 50% of your age group,” said Saari.
The lottery is another way Saari has tried to get more people into the race. It works very similarly to a regular lottery:
The first time you apply, you have one ticket. If you don’t make it that year, you can apply again and this time you’ll have two tickets. By the fourth year you’ve applied, your name is in the lottery four times.
“You have to apply continuously because if you miss the year then it resets back to one,” Saari said.
These rule changes have consequently made Mount Marathon highly competitive.
Every time you step on the mountain, you’re competing for your spot in the race next year.
Making it Fun, Safe, and Memorable
The ultimate goal of Mount Marathon, Saari said, is “to have a safe and exciting race.”
Photo courtesy of Steve Quinn.
“Every year when the races are over and I go to the Med Tent and they tell me ‘we had some gashes and cuts and bruises’ we sort of exhale that that’s the only injuries. For most races that would be pretty alarming if people were getting stitched up, but there’s the potential for serious injury in this race.”
Because of the potential danger, first-time racers must complete a safety course the night before the race.
“But that’s part of the excitement,” said Saari, “that it’s so extreme there can be a potential danger.”
Meet Sofija Spaic and Lyon Kopsock, two Alaskan Racers
This will be Sofija’s fourth year racing Mount Marathon. She started when she was 17 because she was inspired by her older sister, Tatjana, who ran the race before her.
“When she put her name in I wasn’t really into a ton of hiking, then I came into high school and I started running and going in that direction,” she said.
“So, I was like, ‘why not?’”
Sofija has been racing ever since. She looks forward to the race every year.
“I enjoy the spirit of the day,” Sofija said. “It’s so fun to be down there. It’s great vibes and feelings.”
For people thinking about racing Mount Marathon, Sofija says you should “definitely go up the mountain before you race it.”
“You should go into it knowing the path that you’re going to take. You really need to know the trail pretty well.”
But don’t let this overwhelm you too much. When it comes to race day, “just have fun and relish in that feeling.”
Mount Marathon has been part of Lyon Kopsack’s life since he could walk.
“I did mini Mount Marathon when I was two,” Lyon said. “A bunch of parents get their kids lined up in a big row and then another parent or friend will be on the other end.”
“They historically hand out little ribbons. Of course, as a kid, that’s pretty cool.”
Lyon then started the junior race when he was 9. “My last junior race was in 2013 and I’ve just been doing the senior men’s race since then.”
He also won the junior race in 2013–marking his highest finish in the race.
Similar to Sofija, Lyon started racing because he was inspired by his family. “My grandfather on my dad’s side won the race in 1964 and then I grew up watching my dad do it,” he said.
“I just idolized him growing up–you know, I wanted to be just like him. Now I kind of want to finish what I started and see things through. It’d be kind of a shame to just put that much effort into something and not reach your goals and move on to something.”
While he has never won the men’s race, Lyon has had huge success in Mount Marathon, finishing fifth last year, fourth in 2022, and fifth again in 2021.
However, his accomplishments in the race don’t mean he always enjoys doing it. “I hate everything about that race pretty much,” he said, “but it’s a different kind of experience.”
“There’s a lot of suffering that you go through in training and there’s just something about what it makes you and the perspective it gives you. That’s where I find the real value of Mount Marathon.”
Photo courtesy of Mick Dees.
For Lyon, every time he trains, he learns a little more about himself. “When you’re on the mountains… some of those worries that you might have had when you woke up or when you went to bed kind of seem a little smaller,” Lyon said.
“You just kind of learn a lot about yourself out there.”
And while the race might be painful at the moment, the aftermath makes it all worth it.
“Once I’m done I’m just looking forward to getting a Mountain Dew and kicking back with all my friends and family.”
The Outlook for Future Mount Marathon Races
It’s clear that Mount Marathon isn’t quite like any other mountain race.
It’s a huge feat full of potential dangers–which makes reaching the finish line that much sweeter. Take it from Sofija:
“Finishing is euphoric.”
True North is a publication of the University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Journalism and Public Communications. It has been published since 1995.