After the official searches were called off, she spent over a month walking the mountain and looking for signs. Still, Echard echoes the advice that newcomers can cut their risk dramatically if they simply check out the coursein personahead of time. So that I think is discouraging of people who are going to be taking four or five, six hours much longer to complete the race. But according to OutsideOnline, it's tough: 'The race, which has been run as an organized event since 1915, is a beast, with a 3,022-foot vertical gain and loss over icy and treacherous mountain terrain, where runners pick their own way upand downthe average 38-degree slope.'. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Miracle in ice: Indian mountain climber found alive days after falling into crevasse, Famed Irish mountain climber dies descending from peak in Nepal, Triple-amputee soldier climbs Kilimanjaro to deliver a burger, Lost a dear friend: Adventurer crushed to death saving climber after huge ice column splits. Curious Alaska is a weekly feature powered by your questions. Perhaps he fell off a cliff or fell into a crevice never to be seen again? Its a bad idea to come down that way, but people do it. Competitors must now meet specified time milestones or they will be forced to drop out, a rule designed to avoid risks to stragglers. Hed kind of pick a goal and go after it hard.. Bondi, 23, lives in the Upper East Side and came to root for Jenna. The incidents left Seward struggling to understand how a runner could disappear on a course thats only a few miles long. Did he ever reach the summit and turn around? Ravens. Peggy LeMaitre is no longer holding out hope that her husband is still alive five weeks and multiple searches after he vanished without a trace while running in the popular extreme race. Casey Grove:And you took these questions back to the authorities. If new clues or evidence is discovered Troopers would evaluate new search efforts, he said. [10] At 16, she took the women's 5000 at the Five & Dime Athletics Meeting in South Carolina with a time of 15:34.47. What do you want to know or want us to investigate about life in Alaska, stories behind the news or why things are the way they are? Michaels eyesight was failing but he thought he was capable enough to finish the race. Karol Fink: Its a bit mysteriousthe feel of it. Firefighters and police, state troopers, National Guard helicopter crews armed with infrared technology, mountaineering experts and search dogs scoured the mountain for days in torrential rain, but found no sign of Michael. To get from where he was last seen in 2012 to where the jawbone was found would require that he first make a left turn off the Mount Marathon ridge when he knew a right turn was required to pick up the trail down. LeMaitres story attracted widespread media attention, becoming one of the most well-known in a grimly extensive list of Alaskans whove disappeared into wilderness landscapes without a trace. Following Michaels disappearance, officials made changes to the race. The volunteers, who had been on the mountain for 10 hours, had completed their duty and were descending when they encountered LeMaitre, who was in last place, just approaching the mountains summit. It was about 8 p.m. local time on July 4 when Seward, Alaska's Fire Department received word that 66-year-old Michael LeMaitre of Anchorage, was missing. Fort Valley State University student Missing Where is Anitra Gunn? Park officials did not indicate how he died, but a friend told the. Two other runners sustained serious injuries in this years race. Searches in the difficult terrain have failed to locate any signs of him. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Salt Lake City resident Penny Assman, 34, broke multiple ribs after a similar on-course fall (pictured here). The Mount Marathon Race in Seward took place Wednesday, after a year off due to the pandemic, without reports of any major trouble. It was the talk of the town: Two people falling off the waterfall. There was plenty of daylight left and Michael asked if he could continue on to finish the race. The community is pretty heartbroken about it, and so many have reminded me that people are going to keep looking. 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He was apparently fit and healthy, having been a regular visitor to the gym and had finished a 12K event a month earlier, but despite the warning, he had never visited the course and he chose to continue. If he did turn 180 degrees in the wrong direction, he would then need to descend extremely steep and rough terrain on the south side of Mount Marathon, cross Lowell Creek, make a difficult climb up the Bear Mountain ridge, drop off it into the Spruce Creek drainage, climb yet another high ridge, and then drop into the Tonsina drainage. People were out searching, helicopter going constantly. Photo by Carol Grisswold. People have to promise theyve been up the mountain before. No trace. THE MOTIVATIONThe record time, set in 1981 by Bill Spencer, is 43:21. The mystery of what happened to LeMaitre is the subject ofthe Anchorage Daily News Curious Alaska columnthis week. She ran there and doubled as a forward and midfielder in soccer. There are no signs along the route. Contact Craig Medred at craig(at)alaskadispatch.com. A member of the LeMaitre family said Alaska State Troopers told him it did not appear the partial human jawbone found in the mountains above Tonsina Point south of the city belongs to the 65-year-old who disappeared during the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2012. And then also, Michael LeMaitre had not been up and down the course ever before he raced. Alyse Bondi, Jenna's close friend from Cornell, said Jenna loves to run. We spoke separately to Karol Fink, a Mount Marathon organizer and 19-year race veteran who ran this year, and to MaryAnne LeMaitre, whose father has yet to be found. Michael was competing for the first time in the 85th running of the Mount Marathon race, with participants running up the mountain surrounded, by thick forests and creeks over 3.1 to 3.5 miles. The biggest factor was the record snowthe trail conditions were unlike anything they had seen beforeice underneath. At that point, you have an entire mountain, and you have no limiting factor. [15] She also ran the first-ever high school girls' cross-country 5,000 in less than 16 minutes, in Huntsville, Alabama. [7], Hutchins ran the 3,000 meters twice when she was 11, winning in 1112-year-old girls in 12:24.5 at the Speedster Cross Country Classic, and finishing second in the 3K at the South Texas Junior Olympic Championships in 12:13.0. Prior to the race this year, former race director Chuck Echard had written a letter to the Seward Phoenix Log expressing his opinion that the race field should be decreasedthe event, he contended, wasnt for everyone. Nine years on, what happened to LeMaitre is still a mystery. 12 Sep. 2015. But what happened in the 2012 Mount Marathon Race really stands out in Alaska lore. Fink: You start in downtown Seward, 4th avenue, and the street is all lined with spectators. Once competitors have reached the summit, the faster ones can make it back down to the ground in under ten minutes. [8], Before injury shortened her season, Jenna posted nation-leading times in the 1600 (4:44.13) and 3200 meters (9:52.33) and lowered her own Science High 800 meter record to 2:13.65. It was rainy, it was foggy, and he just never came down the mountain. This year, it had rained the night before, so it made the race really slick and muddy for the juniors. It consumed the energy of the town. 1.5 miles straight up from sea level to 2,094 feet and 1.5 miles right back down.The Mount Marathon Race . Whenever I asked for help, someone always said yes. [6], During her sophomore year in 20182019, she won the Tennessee Gatorade Female Track & Field Player of the Year award, earning her the opportunity as a part of Gatorade's "Play it Forward cause marketing platform," to award a $1,000 grant to her choice of a local or national youth sports organization, and duplicated the honors in 2020 and 2021. montanawomensrun . The body of the 61-year-old, who had been missing since Saturday, was recovered on Tuesday near the summit of Mount Clark, the National Park Service said. LeMaitre was running Mount Marathon for the first time. Lost without a trace, not even clothing - black shorts, a black T-shirt and a black headband. Fink: Distance in this race isnt as critical as vertical. This incident remains under investigation, park officials said. What did they tell you nine years later about this? The race officials had already packed up by around 6 p.m., when my dad was still headed up. On July 7, with no progress made and resources dwindling, search efforts were scaled back. Michael LeMaitre could have taken just a few wrong turns, and then very quickly was in the thousands and thousands of impenetrable, mountainous wilderness in the Kenai mountains. It has been sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office for further examination. But according to OutsideOnline, its tough: The race, which has been run as an organized event since 1915, is a beast, with a 3,022-foot vertical gain and loss over icy and treacherous mountain terrain, where runners pick their own way upand downthe average 38-degree slope.. They show crashes, people on backboards and lots of blood.. He was last seen at about 6pm by an official who was heading down the mountain. Published: Jun. Delta variant wasnt detected in Alaska until a few weeks ago. The partial jawbone in. Crom said the pair had climbed mountains together worldwide. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Michael was said to be adventurous and believed he had won the lottery by getting entry into the Mount Marathon race. [2], Hutchins lived in Johnson City, but the family also lived just across the border in North Carolina. The junior trail is probably the safest of the threebut its dangerous as well, just cut into the side of the mountain, very steep and narrowtrees, roots to negotiate, and it gets very slick. Later in that year of 2012, he was declared legally dead through a court proceeding called a presumed death trial, which is a way for families whove lost someone in a fishing boat accident or a plane crash, where remains are not going to be recoverable to have their loved one legally declared deceased so they can move on with settling estates and insurance and things like that. Hours later, search and rescue teams were called onto the mountain at around 8 pm by his wife Peggy with temperatures falling and rain worsening. But the race, which has been run as an organized event since 1915, is a beast, with a 3,022-foot vertical gain and loss over icy and treacherous mountain terrain, where runners pick their own way upand downthe average 38-degree slope. Entrants are almost all Alaskans. I chose to come down the cliffs in a crabwalk its so steephand, hand, foot, foot. My dad was in last place. Even after the official search was called off in mid-July, volunteers continued to search the mountain, including LeMaire's daughter Mary Anne, saying "Seward has so much meaning to my dad,so here he is, looking out. The men's and women's courses are a grueling 1.5-mile climb up, and back down, Alaska's majestic and treacherous Mount Marathon. In 2014, Michaels family settled a lawsuit with the Seward Chamber of Commerce. LeMaitres disappearance changed the way the race operates. There was no one there to give him any direction. There hasnt been any wish to change things unless its a safety concern. At the time of her disappearance, troopers said that there was a note in her truck saying she didn't want a search. Lucy Letby- Killer Nurse? Starting in downtown Seward, racers run a half-mile to the bottom of Mount Marathon, then scrabble about 2,900 vertical feet straight up cliffs and mud and shale before getting to Race Point, an artificial summit point. Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage, the Anchorages Daily News Curious Alaska column, Bronson wont consider former Alaska Club building for Anchorage homeless shelter. I never went up the mountain on my own, except for the last trip. He was very adventurous. The search effort was called off that day by the family and the Fire Department due to deteriorating weather and mountain conditions.. Law enforcement has to place eyes on him, alive and well, McDaniel said. Is The High Lonesome 100 The Future of Ultrarunning Equity? He says a smaller field could prevent the already precarious course from becoming overcrowded and compromising runners ability to choose the safest path down the mountain. The biggest factor was the record snowthe trail conditions were unlike anything they had seen beforeice underneath. The race is short, only three miles long. I know its fascinating to me, the overwhelming scale and power of the wilderness and how close we live to it and how close we all tried that line. 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Crom, meanwhile, told the newspaper its unclear whether he summited Mount Clark prior to his death, but said park rangers would likely check a log book near the peak. It rained the night before the 2012 race and the trail was slick and muddy. Youve heard of Tough Mudder and the Spartan Race, but every Fourth of July, the town of Seward, Alaska, hosts a competition that rivals both. Relatives of Zalokar declined to comment Thursday, the Times reported. So hes been legally dead for almost nine years now. 21, 2019 at 7:04 PM PDT. Jenna Mulhern Drops 12th Fastest 5K In High School History. The key point here is that during the race, they typically have race officials at the top of the mountain and all along the course. Theyre not running, theyre free-falling. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Thats one of my fears, that if Im not looking, no ones looking. Every year on July 4th, hundreds of burly mountain runners climb a punishing 3,022 ft in under a mile to Race Point on Mount Marathon and back down into Seward. We walked the streams. Mountain rescue experts, firemen, state troopers, search dogs and LeMaitres family spent thousands of hours searching the area but without a single clue being found. The last photo taken of him was near this location. She ranked within the global top 100 for 5000 metres athletes in 2020. A cadaver dog was sent into the area and friends paid for and analyzed high-resolution photographs of the mountain. Downhill is 12 mph. Missing 411: The Missing Man on Mount Marathon | Paul LeMaitre The Lore Lodge 162K subscribers Join Subscribe 3.9K 76K views 4 months ago Missing 411 On July 4th, 2012, Paul LeMaitre. Ipsen said troopers don't yet know if the jawbone found in the mountains belongs to a man or a woman. Jenna Hutchins (born March 25, 2004),[1] is a high school and "Under 20" record-breaking American long distance runner from Johnson City, Tennessee. They found no proof or sign of life. P.O. And finally, I decided that I needed to go on the mountain by myself, because thats how he did the race. At press time, LeMaitre had still not been found and was presumed dead. And even though the race was short and the trail packed with people, there was a disappearance. Its in your mind every single day. Theriault Boots: I think its the same intrigue that makes people going missing in Alaska so fascinating for some people, because its just the vastness of the wilderness. Fink: We expect changes after this year, but you need to strike a balance. 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MaryAnne walked the mountain for weeks, looking for her dad. An extensive search turned up nothing. Queen Bee Montana Marathon - new name - Same Fast Courses! Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. -, http://rw.runnersworld.com/selects/last-man-up.html. 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MaryAnne LeMaitre: My dadhe has always had an adventurous spirit: He did the Iditaski several times; he had a lot of exciting adventures on the water. He was seen near the ascent and with only 1.5 miles to go, downhill. Thats where [Assman and Kenney] fell. Theriault Boots: I think its the same intrigue that makes people going missing in Alaska so fascinating for some people, because its just the vastness of the wilderness. There were checkpoints with water along the way, but Michael was seemingly unaware that due to his slower pace, they had all been packed up. She was never found and remains among the missing in the area. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon. Usually by the time of race day, the water hasnt dried up, so you have to know what youre doing because its very steep and you can fall off. The discovery of human remains near Seward has sparked speculation that the body of Michael LeMaitre, possibly the state's most famous missing person, has been found, but that appears unlikely. In February, she finished 4th in the Millrose Games indoor mile, setting a state indoor record at 15-years-old. I think thats fascinating people. There was still quite a bit of daylight left, and my dad asked if he could still continue up to finish the race. THE STARTBibs have typically been limited to 350 men, 350 women, and 200 juniors, but this year the race was expanded to accommodate 400 in each of the mens and womens races. All we need is just one little thing to go on. The Marathon course is a certified Boston qualifier. Michael LeMaitre, a 66-year-old rookie Mount Marathon racer, was last seen about 200 feet from the top of the mountain and has been missing ever since. What happened? Photo by Carol Grisswold. We have a safety meeting ahead of time that you have to attend. According to Squires, Some operations continued until July 15. The area is heavily used by hikers. Seward's Mount Marathon is one of the most watched, single-day sporting events in the 49th state. Its a bad idea to come down that way, but people do it. Box 2530 :: Billings, MT 59103 406-255-8488 2023 Montana Women's Run. When MaryAnne did not hear from her father after the race started on July 4, she knew something was wrong. Once you get to halfway, theres no more brush: its just exposed rock and loose shale. Thats when Anchorage resident Michael LeMaitre went missing while running the race, never to be seen again. CBS News Bay Area: Free 24/7 News CBS Bay Area App [5][6] In 2019 she earned All-American status for a second straight year at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.,[5][10]. New rules were instituted, including one that says runners now must sign a pledge saying theyve completed the roughly 3-mile race course at least once prior to race day. The body of Fred Zalokar, 61, was recovered Tuesday near the 11,527-foot summit of Mount Clark, a press . Then you pop out back out and have to decide whether to take the junior trail, the cliffs, or the waterfall, which is 20 feet out, 70 feet down. Youre using hands and feet. Mount Marathon towers over the community of Seward at the head of Resurrection Bay about 125 miles south of Anchorage. [9], In January, she won both the mile and two-mile runs at the Virginia Showcase in Lynchburg. Clock says LeMaitre was last spotted race day by on-course volunteers around 6 p.m. Im still very curious to have someone go out there and checkhis body could be there. For the next 24 minutes or so, its just steep. When you get to the top, most racers go around. Jenna Leigh Challenor (born 6 July 1981) is a South African long-distance runner.She competed in the marathon event at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, UK, finishing 59th.. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The wife of a 65-year-old Anchorage man who disappeared while participating in the 2012 Mount Marathon extreme mountain race in Seward has sued the organization that hosts [4], Hutchins was named the 20192020 Tennessee Girls Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year, winning the Footlocker South Regional Cross Country Championships in 16:54,[5] She was ranked 9th in the nation at the mile, with a time of 4:43.33, and fifth at two miles, in 10:25.01. I have spent a lot of time on the mountain; I know my route very clearly. Trailing behind the other runners, LeMaitre was last seen near the summit by a race official. Mount Marathon runner Penny Assman takes a brutal on-course fall, breaking her ribs. Runners from around the world join Alaskans in pursuit of a common goal: to safely complete this iconic footrace, whether on the podium or in the pack. Grove:What do you think this story tells people about Alaska or about what happened to this guy? Theriault Boots:They searched, they didnt find anything. There is hope that it might eventually be matched to the dental records of one of the missing people, but so far troopers haven't even been able to conclude who it isn't. The second wave of the race which included LeMaitre started at 3.15 pm. Michelle Theriault Boots:During that race, it was terrible weather. Then you pop out back out and have to decide whether to take the junior trail, the cliffs, or the waterfall, which is 20 feet out, 70 feet down. Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. Its not like climbingthere is no rating system for this. Download the app. Zalokar, of Reno, Nevada, was reported missing late Sunday after not returning to Yosemite Valley from his solo trip as planned.