What he didn’t foresee was victory.
But Gillespie used the strength derived from his 20 or so training trips on the mountain overlooking Resurrection Bay to win the race halfway up the 3,022-foot peak and back into town.
Gillespie, 15, clocked 30 minutes, 4 seconds, in cool, cloudy conditions.
Allison Barnwell, 16, of Seward, made it a hometown sweep minutes later, crossing the line in 36:35 to win the girls division.
Gillespie, who knocked 3:06 off his 2007 time, said he was taken aback by winning.
"I trained a lot this year,’’ he said. "I was hoping to be in the top 10, but I never hoped to win.’’
Gillespie said he wasn’t certain he would win until the last 20 meters. The race finishes on Fourth Avenue in town, and Gillespie is better on the mountain than he is on pavement.
"Some of those kids are so fast,’’ he said. "The road is my weakness.’’
Of course, he comes from good Mount Marathon stock. His father, Tom, is the former holder of the men’s 40-49 age-group record in the senior race.
Travis Price, 17, of Seward, captured second among boys in 30:13. Alexander Babos, 15, of Eagle River, claimed third in 30:14.
Barnwell said being a local provided her an edge in a race that rewards course knowledge and familiarity.
"I have the mountain,’’ she said. "I can train whenever I want to. We know the down trail better. We can practice when it’s raining.
"It’s definitely an advantage.’’
Barnwell topped Allison Ostrander, 11, of Soldotna, who stormed to second place in 36:59, which shattered former junior champion Denali Foldager’s age-group record (39:40 in 2001) for girls 11 and under by nearly three minutes.
Ostrander roared up the standings, and cut 5:18 off her time in 2007, when she finished 18th among girls.
Kate Backstrum, Jr., 16, of Anchorage, earned third in 37:59.
Barnwell said she is unsure whether she will be back to defend her title in 2009 because she will be a foreign-exchange student. Either way, she pegged the diminutive Ostrander as a future champ.
"She’s really tiny, and she’s so cute,’’ Barnwell said. "She’s one to watch next year.’’
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