Scott Patterson, the elite nordic skier from Anchorage who is an emerging force in mountain and trail running, on Friday finished third in a vertical kilometer race at altitude in Big Sky, Montana.
Patterson clocked 29 minutes, 49 seconds, in the Run the Rut, a race of about 3.2 kilometers with more than 700 meters in elevation gain. The race was shortened and the planned elevation gain of 1,000 meters reduced because of concerns about a possible storm.
The vertical kilometer race is a part of three days of racing in Big Sky, including races of 11 kilometers, 28K and 50K that have drawn an international field because they are part of the Skyrunner World Series.
About three dozen Alaskans are entered in various Rut races, all of which start at an altitude of about 7,500 feet.
Patterson, 24, the four-time champion of the Crow Pass Crossing backcountry marathon, finished behind winner Ondrej Fejar (29:25) of the Czech Republic and runner-up Jan Margarit Sole (29:49) of Spain. Patterson won $175.
Anchorage's Adam Jensen, 36, finished sixth (31:23), good enough for beer money ($50). Former Chugiak High and University of Montana star David Morris, 46, who once held the American record for the marathon, finished 13th.
Also among the top 30 men were Miles Knotek, 21, of Moose Pass, who finished 16th in 34:39, and Ben Ward, 41, of Anchorage, who took 30th in 37:43.