Men's contenders
Matias Saari, Anchorage
Age: 40
PR: 46:10 (2010)
Last year: 3rd (46:10)
Best finish: 1st, 2009
Eric Strabel, Anchorage
Age: 29
PR: 45:42 (2010)
Last year: 2nd (45:42)
Best Finish: 2nd (4 times)
Brent Knight, Anchorage
Age: 27
PR: 46:02 (2006)
Last year: 4th (46:24)
Best finish: 3rd (2 times)
Trond Flagstad, Anchorage
Age: 41
PR: 44:03 (2008)
Last year: 1st (44:40)
Best finish: 1st (2010, 2008)
Rob Whitney, Anchorage
Age: 32
Race rookie
Resume highlight: 1st place in last month's uphill-only Bird Ridge race
Mark Iverson, Anchorage
Age: 29
Race rookie
Resume highlight: 2nd last month at Bird Ridge; 2nd last year in Alyeska Mountain Run
Women's contenders
Holly Brooks, Anchorage
Age: 29
PR: 51:58 (2010)
Last year: 2nd (51:58)
Best finish: 2nd twice (2010, 2008)
Kikkan Randall, Anchorage
Age: 28
PR: 53:29 (2010)
Last year: 3rd (53:29)
Best finish: 2nd (4 times)
Rachel Dow, Seward
Age: 32
PR: 58:14 (2010)
Last year: 5th (58:14)
Best finish: 5th (2 times)
Aubrey Smith, Seward
Age: 31
PR: 58:57 (2008)
Last year: did not race
Best finish: 3rd (2009)
Leslie Varys, Wasilla
Age: 32
PR: 1:00:36 (2009)
Last year: Did not race
Best finish: 4th (2009)
The race
Junior race: 9:30 a.m.
Women's race: 11:15 a.m.
Men's race: 3 p.m.
Start: Fourth Avenue and Adams Street
Finish: Fourth Avenue and Washington Street
The race route
Length: 3.5 miles
Average angle of trail: 38 degrees
Steepest slope of trail: 60 degrees
Elevation at starting line: 30 feet
Elevation at peak: 3,022 feet
Where to watch
• Convene at the mountain's base to watch runners climb onto the 3,022-foot mountain and remain to watch the perilous descent of the cliffs near the base.
• Gather along the trail on the mountain -- but cede the trail to competitors.
• Kick back in camp chairs along Jefferson Avenue and Lowell Canyon Road, which runners take to the mountain.
• Watch the final sprint to the finish line along Fourth Avenue.
• Bring binoculars to watch the runners above the mountain's treeline and take particular note of the dust trail they leave behind on their wickedly fast descent.
