Anchorage Daily News

Eric Strabel passed Patrick Stinson with about one-half mile to go Saturday morning to win the marathon-length Crow Pass Crossing through the Chugach Mountains for the second time.

Strabel, 26, clocked 3 hours, 9 minutes, 2 seconds on the course from the Crow Pass Trailhead near Girdwood to the Eagle River Nature Center. Strabel won the race in 2006 in a course-record 3:05:18.

Stinson, 28, slashed more than 23 minutes off his 2007 time and finished in 3:09:37. Max Treinen, 19, finished third in 3:13:15, and defending champion Geoff Roes, 32, claimed fourth in 3:17:53.

Eeva Latosuo, 38, won the women’s division, trimming nine minutes from her 2007 time and crossing in 4:02:46. Rookie Jaime Bronga, 18, earned second place in 4:05:21, and Paige Brady, 23, finished third in 4:07:42.

Strabel caught Stinson less than five miles from the finish, but Stinson later regained a lead of 20-25 seconds before Strabel pounced on a flat section before the last hill leading to the finish.

“He crushed me and left me,’’ Stinson said.

Strabel, who ran cross country at UAA, said he knew he had to make a decisive move.

“If you have to pass a guy, you have to leave an impression,’’ he said. “It’s no time for half-measures.’’

Latosuo was stunned by her victory.

“I couldn’t believe it,’’ she said. “Total surprise.’’