Jeff Young in the Alaska 10K Classic. Photo courtesy Todd List Photography.
Jeff Young, the Anchorage man who won his age group at the 2015 Boston Marathon less than a year after running his first marathon, died late last month from a disease that struck quickly, leaving family and friends stunned and heartbroken.
Nicknamed “Hardcore” by fellow runners, Young was two days shy of his 67th birthday when he passed Nov. 20 from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and fatal brain disorder.
Young was a construction worker whose physically demanding job made him as tough as the nails he hammered. Before he gained fame in Alaska as an age-group marvel, he was a rock climber, ice climber, mountain climber — he summited Denali in the late 1990s — skier and triathlete.
He was an avid hunter who shared his outdoors skills with others, including Jerry Ross, a premier marathoner who won his age group at the 2021 Boston Marathon.
“I mentored him for a bit in racing longer races and he mentored me in hunting and as a result (showed me) how to be tougher than I could have dreamed I could be,” said Ross, who operates the Alaska Endurance Project running group with Todd List.
Jeff Young was an avid hunter among his many passions. Photo courtesy of Jerry Ross.
Young’s health declined rapidly. People seldom live longer than several months with Creutzfeldt-Jakob, which is essentially a one-in-a-million diagnosis, according to the Mayo Clinic. One to two cases per million are diagnosed each year.
Symptoms can mimic dementia and include dizziness, problems with coordination, blurred vision and memory loss.
“It’s so shocking at how fast Jeff’s decline was,” Ross said.
Young’s last run was Oct. 5, according to Strava, the activity tracking app commonly used by endurance athletes. He ran four miles at a pace of nearly eight minutes per mile.
Anna Dalton, another top Anchorage marathoner and one of Young’s running partners, went on a walk with Young on Oct. 31. The next day, Young was in the hospital.
“He had been having brain fog and vertigo for a little while,” Dalton said. “But walking with him made me really worried. His balance was off and so was his sense of direction. He knew something was really wrong. But nobody had any idea how serious it was. When I saw him in the hospital a week-and-change later he wasn’t really there anymore. I don’t think he knew I was in the room.”
Jeff Young and training partner Anna Dalton during the Trent Waldron 10K. Photo courtesy Todd List Photography.
Young was an original in the Alaska running world. He logged fewer miles per week than most endurance runners — a comparatively mellow 40 to 50 miles. He was known for sticking to a training plan and getting his cross-training via on-the-job manual labor.
“Jeff was the master of knowing when to say when in practice and when to go for it in a race,” Ross said.
Young was 56 when he won the 55-59 age group at the 2015 Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 46 minutes, 23 seconds.
That same year, he placed second in his age group at the New York City Marathon (2:44:42), set the 55-59 age-group record at the 16-mile Lost Lake Run in Seward (1:51:24) and set the still-standing Mayor’s Half Marathon masters record (1:30:34 for 13.1 miles).
He picked up another 55-59 age-group title at the 2017 Chicago Marathon (2:49:34). The next year, at the California International Marathon, he won the 60-64 age group with a personal-best 2:41:35. “I ran this marathon like an Alaskan earthquake, I destroyed it,” he said on Strava. His fastest mile, 5:51, came in his final mile.
Jeff Young, at a workout a couple days after surgery on a broken collar bone. “It hurts, but I don’t need arms to run,” he said. Photo by Todd List Photography.
Young ran through injuries and pain. He overcame back pain at last year’s London Marathon to grab third place in the 65-69 age group in 2:59:33. His post-race, punctuation-free note on Strava showed his sense of humor: “Well not only did the wheels fall off I also dropped the transmission blew a radiator hose my left turn signal was on the whole way and the radio was stuck on static.”
Young’s final goal as a runner was to win his age group at this year’s New York City Marathon, Dalton said. By the time that race happened in early November, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease had put him in the hospital.
Dalton said she thinks about her friend every time she runs.
“He was unflappable and unafraid,” she said. “Once I was running with him and we came across two big guys, clearly intoxicated, throwing punches at each other in the middle of the trail. 130-pound Jeff didn’t miss a beat or really slow down, he just told them to get out of the trail and they listened.”
Jeff Young (right) with Jerry Ross and Anna Dalton at the Twilight 12K in Anchorage.
No announcement has been made regarding services or a memorial. Through Dalton, Christina Young expressed thanks for the outpouring of affection that followed her husband’s death.
“I deeply appreciate all the gestures, energy and effort, recognizing Jeff,” she said. “He was a talented, amazing and brave athlete, defining age and ability.”
