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Mountain Running: Allie Ostrander finishes 20th in the punishingly thin air of Pikes Peak Ascent (plus, other Mount Marathon notables)

by | Sep 16, 2023 | Cover Story, Mountain Running, Running

Allie Ostrander

Coming from her home base at sea level in Seattle to the extreme altitude of Colorado undoubtedly taxed Allie Ostrander’s aerobic system on Saturday, when the Alaska pro runner finished 20th among women at the punishing Pikes Peak Ascent.

The 13.3-mile trail race begins in downtown Manitou Springs at 6,300 feet of elevation – gulp – and takes athletes up 7,815 feet of elevation gain and technical footing to the summit at 14,115 feet.

Ostrander, 26, who grew up in Soldotna, clocked 3 hours, 4 minutes, 52 seconds in what shakes out as a wickedly hard week for her – she is entered to run the Mammoth Lakes 26K (16 miles), which gains 4,000 feet in altitude on Sept. 23.

Sophia Laukli of Salt Lake City, a World Cup Nordic skier, won the women’s race in 2:35.57.

Ostrander, who is sponsored by outdoors manufacturer Nnormal, was among several athletes with strong Mount Marathon credentials who competed Saturday. Ostrander won the women’s title on Mount Marathon in 2017 and is a six-time junior champion (2009-14) and junior record holder.

Allie McLaughlin, 32, of Colorado Springs, the 2022 Mount Marathon champ and women’s record holder, finished 12th Saturday in 2:53:22. Anchorage’s Jessica Yeaton, 31, a physical therapist who now resides in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and won Mount Marathon in 2018, finished 19th in front of Ostrander in 3:02:12. Yeaton is a former Olympic Nordic skier and winner of the American Birkebeiner, the most prestigious long-distance ski race in the country.

On the men’s side Saturday, four-time and reigning Mount Marathon champ David Norris of Alaska, finished 29th in 2:28:31. Norris, 32, who owns the Mount Marathon record and is also a Birkebeiner champ, is Yeaton’s partner and coaches skiing in Steamboat Springs.

Remi Bonnet, 28, of Switzerland, one of the world’s best mountain and trail runners, won the men’s race in a record 2:00.20.

Former Mount Marathon junior champ Ali Papillon, 18, who splits time between Colorado and Anchorage, finished just 31 seconds behind Norris in 31st (2:29:02). Papillon’s brother, Bohdi, 22, a three-time Top 15 finisher in the men’s Mount Marathon, finished 41st in 2:37:28.

Story made possible by:

Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson

Family of Sponsors

Alaska Airlines | Nicole Johnston | Richard Mize | Advanced Diagnostics, INC | Aktive Soles | Alaska Oil and Gas Association | Aspen Endodontics | Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson, LLC. | BOSCO's | Coho Financial Group | Continental Auto Group | Don Clary & Judy Besh | Glen Bailey | Invisalign-Ben Ward | JL Properties | Joey Caterinichio & Ja Dorris| Kathleen Navarre | Midas Alaska | Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth and Broken Tooth Brewing | Perkins Coie - Sarah & A.J. Schirack | R&M Consultants, Inc. | Dave & DeAnne Rand | RE/MAX Dynamic Properties Kevin Taylor | Scott Taylor |Residential Mortgage | Seth Wickersham & Alison Overholt | Taylored Restoration | Korndrop Family Foundation | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Replacement Glass | Zareena and Allen Clendaniel | Foley & Pearson | UAA Seawolves | Tony and Carla Slaton Barker | Sportclips Haircuts | Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska | Alice & Gunnar Knapp | Amy and Jason Miller | Burgerfi | Charles Fedullo | Dan Rufner | Darren Lieb | In Honor of James Libby | Seawolf 5th Line | Deb Essex | Don Winchester | Donley Family | Dr. Justin Libby, DDS | Firetap | Harlow Robinson | Jason & Shannon Metrokin | Jim & Michelle Hajdukovich | Joe Alston | Kathie Bethard | Krispy Kreme | Kristopher Knauss | Loren Kroon | Mark and Jamie Johnson | Mark Silverman | On the Border | Pete Robinson | Rick Mystrom | Team Heat | Team Moriarty | The Conway Family | Todd Whited | Moria Smith | In memory of Drs. John & Elizabeth Tower | Peter Pounds | Pete Robinson | Skinny Raven | Multisport Training of Alaska/Lisa Keller | RSA Engineering

Family of Sponsors

Alaska Airlines | Nicole Johnston | Richard Mize | Advanced Diagnostics, INC | Aktive Soles | Alaska Oil and Gas Association | Aspen Endodontics | Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson, LLC. | BOSCO's | Coho Financial Group | Continental Auto Group | Don Clary & Judy Besh | Glen Bailey | Invisalign-Ben Ward | JL Properties | Joey Caterinichio & Ja Dorris| Kathleen Navarre | Midas Alaska | Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth and Broken Tooth Brewing | Perkins Coie - Sarah & A.J. Schirack | R&M Consultants, Inc. | Dave & DeAnne Rand | RE/MAX Dynamic Properties Kevin Taylor | Scott Taylor |Residential Mortgage | Seth Wickersham & Alison Overholt | Taylored Restoration | Korndrop Family Foundation | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Replacement Glass | Zareena and Allen Clendaniel | Foley & Pearson | UAA Seawolves | Tony and Carla Slaton Barker | Sportclips Haircuts | Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska | Alice & Gunnar Knapp | Amy and Jason Miller | Burgerfi | Charles Fedullo | Dan Rufner | Darren Lieb | In Honor of James Libby | Seawolf 5th Line | Deb Essex | Don Winchester | Donley Family | Dr. Justin Libby, DDS | Firetap | Harlow Robinson | Jason & Shannon Metrokin | Jim & Michelle Hajdukovich | Joe Alston | Kathie Bethard | Krispy Kreme | Kristopher Knauss | Loren Kroon | Mark and Jamie Johnson | Mark Silverman | On the Border | Pete Robinson | Rick Mystrom | Team Heat | Team Moriarty | The Conway Family | Todd Whited | Moria Smith | In memory of Drs. John & Elizabeth Tower | Peter Pounds | Pete Robinson | Skinny Raven | Multisport Training of Alaska/Lisa Keller | RSA Engineering

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