Juneau Marathon/Half Marathon will award state titles
- Klas Stolpe
- Jul 23
- 5 min read
Winners earn bragging rights, participants earn a good outing
As of Wednesday evening 260 athletes have registered to take part in Saturday’s annual Juneau Marathon (26.2 miles) and Half Marathon (13.1 miles) that start and finish at Savikko Park in Douglas.
“That is one of our largest numbers of all time,” race director David Epstein said.
When David Epstein first took over the race directing duties in 2020 it was a COVID year and roughly 75 virtual runners participated over seven days.
“People ran in their hometowns and sent us their results,” Epstein said.
This will be Epstein’s last year as race director.
“I'm not stepping away completely, but you know, I have more summers behind me than I have ahead of me,” he said. “Recovering from COVID, pardon the pun, and just growing the event back to where it was, and bigger than the largest year we had before COVID has been a highlight for me. Just putting on a quality event that people pay a lot of money to race, they're our customers and we like them to be happy and telling their friends that our races should be ones they consider doing. I think we've had pretty good luck with that, thanks to all the volunteer support we get.”
This year’s registration is online only and open until 10 minutes before each race, but Epstein and race coordinators would like to have interested runners register by 6 p.m. Friday. They will not, however, turn away runners on race day.
“Even if we have to use our own phones to register them,” he said. “There is just a lot going on the morning of the race so we would prefer registration to be completed Friday evening.”
New to the race this year will be electronic timing.
“We entered 21st century technology and went in halfsies with the Aukeman Triathlon on the timing system,” Epstein said. “One of the side benefits of having the timing equipment procured years ago is the company is going to put on a little clinic and show us how to use it.”
Runners will find an ankle strap with an electronic chip in their race packet (packet pick-up is at Nugget Alaska Outfitters from 4-6 p.m. Friday). The chip will record finishing times instantaneously and also allow fans to see race splits and follow runners in real time by downloading a Sportsstats app.
The course start has been moved due to a wedding party registering for the traditional covered pavilion at the far end of Savikko Road.
“We might have liked to comp their registrations, but I think they’ll have bigger things to do than race,” Epstein joked.
The races will now start and finish near the Pioneer stage/pavilion area. The marathon will turn at the second driveway at the Rainforest Trail, the half-marathon will extend to 7943 North Douglas Highway. The marathon was recertified this year to continue being a Boston Marathon qualifier.
A main highlight is this year’s marathon and half-marathon are officially registered by the Road Runners Club of America as Alaska State Championship races.
“It saves us some money by bestowing us medals for first place for both events, Gatorade for both events and bibs for both,” Epstein said. “It’s a nice perk. It was something I was hoping to grow to before transitioning out of being a race director. If it can continue to grow there is also an opportunity to host a regional- or national-level event. That’s the holy grail.”
Medals will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place finishers in age groups, both male and female, finisher medals for all participants, and trophies for the first-place male and female in both races.
“This has been fun doing this,” Epstein said. “Fun comes in various shades and tones. I describe the week leading up to the races as a war and so we're right in the thick of it. But every year when I say ‘Boy this is just such a pain I'm not going to do it again…’ Every year on race day when I see people who have finished and they're happy, and some of them come up and say, ‘great job, thank you for putting this on,’ that really makes it all worthwhile. So, you know, if I'll miss something, that's what I'll miss, but I'll still be making a contribution and hopefully the next race director will get the same kind of feedback that I have.”
Juneau Trail and Road Runners president Kym Mauseth first ran the marathon in 2018 and became the food chairman the following year.
This year post post-race snacks include sandwiches, fruit, chips, a pickle tray via local vendor Huddle. Refreshments include coffee, hot chocolate, sodas, sparkling water and Gatorade.
“And I baked cookies and made pasta salad,” Mauseth said. “This is our largest race of the year. At least 50% of the participants are from out of town, so it is bringing in a lot of people to our community and supporting local businesses.”
Future ideas have been floated for live music, a race announcer and partnering with sponsorships.
“Volunteers are hard to come by so we use them where they are most critical,” Mauseth said. “At aid stations and the finish line.”
The Juneau Marathon starts at 7 a.m., the half-marathon at 9 a.m. and an early marathon start for walkers is at 6 a.m.
The highest number of race participants was 279 in 2014. The lowest was two in the early ‘90s. The inaugural race in 1971 was won by Jack Beedle for men and Pat Watson for women. The race was known as the Juneau Marathon and was held through 1988. In that period Guy Thibodeau and Glenn Frick won three years apiece and the races started at the Mendenhall Glacier.
In 1992 it was renamed in honor of Frank Maier, a local marathon enthusiast, who died in a fishing accident in 1990. In 2018 the race was renamed the Juneau Marathon and Half-Marathon.
Shawn Miller has won the marathon five years (2002-03,2007,2014-15), Paul Pusich three times (1998-2000), and Bryce Iverson (2010, ’12) and Chuck Engle (2006, ’11) twice for men. Shannon Gress (2012, ’14) and Bridget Storm (1998-99) twice for women. Gress holds the women’s record time of 2:51:33 (2014). Mary Hanna the women’s master record of 3:25:04 (2010). Miller holds the men’s record of 2:31:30 (2003), Scott Watts the men’s masters record of 2:44:44 (2012).
Miller holds the half-marathon record of 1:09:33 (2005) and Thibodeau the masters’ half in 1:14:16 (1993). Merry Ellefson holds the women’s half record of 1:25:19 (2001) and the women’s masters’ half in 1:27:26 (2007).
Connor Arnell, 26, won last year’s men’s open marathon in 2:52:27; Craig Anderson, 44, the masters in 3:04:18; and Dean Sykes, 62, the grandmasters in 3:59:17. Shalane Frost, 35, won the women’s open (placed third overall among all marathoners) in 2:58:21; Haley Cruse, 54, the women’s masters in 3:40:13; and Kris Ellis, 61, the women’s grandmasters in 4:17:44.
Jack McManus, 19, won last year’s men’s half-marathon in 1:12:43; Jesse Stringer, 41, the masters in 1:24:29; John Bursell, 60, the grandmasters in 1:29:57; and Harold Rinker, 71, the senior grandmasters in 2:22:59. Joanna Hinderberger, 33, won the women’s half-marathon in 1:26:22; Jessica Greif, 46, the women’s masters in 1:53:53; and Debbie McBride, 61, the women’s grandmasters in 1:54:39.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at kstolpe@juneauindependent.com.
