Sports

A PR for Saari, a sprint finish for Quinn in torturous Matanuska Peak Challenge

Among the most wicked of Alaska's many extreme mountain runs, the Matanuska Peak Challenge is a punishing 14-mile race that requires 9,100 feet of relentless climbing and an equal amount of descent.

The torture is usually inflicted on the rocky slopes of two peaks. Runners must ascend and descend 3,720-foot Lazy Mountain twice and 6,119-foot Matanuska Peak once.

But on Saturday, pain also came in the parking lot.

Najeeby Quinn beat Briana Sullivan to the finish line at the Lazy Mountain parking lot by four seconds to win her first Mat Peak title.

"It was kind of a sprint in the parking lot there," said Lance Kopsock, who in 1989 created the race along with brother Braun. "It's the closest women's race we've had."

He can't remember a closer men's race either.

On one of the hottest days of the summer, Quinn survived Sullivan's strong descent to win in 3 hours, 58 minutes, 3 seconds. Sullivan was right behind in 3:58:07.

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Claiming his third Mat Peak title – and his first since taking back-to-back wins in 2011-12 – was Matias Saari.

Saari clocked 3:02:13 to post a personal-best at age 44. He was nearly a minute faster than he was when he won in 2010 (3:03:08) and more than four minutes faster than he was in 2011 (3:06:25).

Second place went to Allan Spangler in 3:09:09. Some context makes his feat as impressive as Saari's – the week before, Spangler was the runner-up in the marathon-length Crow Pass Crossing wilderness run.

Third-place finishes went to Ben Marvin among the men (3:12:56) and Wendy Sailors among the women (4:13:01).

Kopsack said a record field of 83 runners accepted the challenge that is the Matanuska Peak Challenge, which like Crow Pass provides no aid stations. They were tormented by searing heat – but rewarded with the kindness of spectators along the trail, who offered water and food.

"A lot of people were hurting," Kopsack said, "but they had a lot of help along the trail."

Matanuska Peak Challenge

14 miles, 9,100 feet ascent, 9,100 feet descnt

Men

1) Matias Saari 3:02:13; 2) Allan Spangler 3:09:09; 3) Ben Marvin 3:12:56; 4) Chad Trammell 3:15:36; 5) Adam Jensen 3:25:07; 6) John Collins 3:27:47; 7) Mike Monterusso 3:28:39; 8) Andrew Stavich 3:35:44; 9) Abe Meyerhofer 3:39:09; 10) Cory Grumelot 3:42:58; 11) Miles Knotek 3:43:41; 12) Karl Romig 3:46:19; 13) Lance Kopsack 3:56:18; 14) Christopher Kirk 3:57:04; 15) Jeff Covaway 3:58:19; 16) Justin Libby 4:06:33; 17) Ben Ward 4:06:33; 18) Luke Rosier 4:09:37; 19) John Nayler 4:10:37; 20) Gavin Block 4:11:09; 21) Conor Deal 4:11:46; 22) Keegan Crow 4:16:45; 23) Kristan Pettyjohn 4:18:17; 24) Schyler Knopp 4:21:42; 25) Sean Ulman 4:23:39; 26) Alexander Hone 4:24:17; 27) Dan Virgin 4:24:43; 28) Bodhi Gross 4:28:12; 29) Mark Brady 4:29:22; 30) Michael Connelly 4:30:36; 31) Mike DiFlilppo 4:31:06; 32) Scott Gage 4:32:30; 33) Ali Papllon 4:35:38; 34) Dorian Gross 4:42:58; 35) Derek Nottingham 4:44:12; 36) Joe Hunter 4:46:34; 37) Steven Gilles 4:47:44; 38) Nathan Kasukonis 4:52:40; 39) Pete Lafrance 4:55:37; 40) Michea Westbrook 5:00:03; 41) Marty Lindeke 5:00:09; 42) Shawn Hull 5:10:38; 43) Roman Gross 5:14:56; 44) Jeremy Himshaw 5:25:43; 45) Jose Gross 5:26:34; 46) Todd Henry 5:30:33; 47) David Reth 5:37:00; 48) John Clark 5:39:45; 49) James Mitchell 5:40:15; 50) James Murray 5:58:34; 51) Wayland Potter 6:24:59; 52) Lance Arnold 6:28:02; 53) Greg Aktiken 6:52:07; 54) Dane Crowley 6:59:07; 55) Cory Jones 7:22:53; 56) Steven Sedortle 7:24:46; 57) Ed Lasselle 7:24:46; 58) Tony Covarrybias 7:25:59; 59) Evan Steinhauser 7:29:07; 60) Braun Kopsack (Sweep) 7:43:16;

Women

1) Najeeby Quinn 3:58:03; 2) Briana Sullivan 3:58:07; 3) Wendy Sailors 4:13:01; 4) Shawn Mctaggart 4:22:24; 5) Gyongyver Schilling 4:36:54; 6) Annie Connelly 4:40:17; 7) Kim Riggs 4:52:27; 8) Leah Legate 4:52:56; 9) Meghan Odooley 4:57:44; 10) Clare Cook 5:06:18; 11) Jain Baldivia 5:09:58; 12) Caitlin Marine 5:10:26; 13) Andrea Fountain 5:24:13; 14) Mandy Thompson 5:36:52; 15) Kate Arnold 5:56:59; 16) Anna Henry 6:04:35; 17) Linda Rao 6:22:54; 18) Carri Joves 6:29:26; 19) Jolie Estey 6:37:59; 20) Becky Maxwell 7:43:16; 21) Kari Sharp 8:12:17.

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