Following a successful debut, the Kodiak Mountain Series — a three-day stage race — is slated to return for year two this summer.

The series is the first of its kind in Alaska, involving three races on three mountains on three consecutive days. The courses combine for 20 total miles, featuring approximately 8,000 feet of elevation gain, while summitting Heitman, Sharatin and Pyramid Mountains.

Jordan Theisen (3:15:11) and Hannah LaCroix (4:02:42) were crowned winners of the inaugural event, while the Chicken Jockeys (4:30:46) dominated the team standings.

Theisen, a former standout at Kenai Central who competed under the persona “Achilles,” won all three races wire-to-wire. The 29-year-old is self-supported by his own company, Achilles Endurance, following a notable career at Black Hills State and a stint in the Army National Guard.

“I feel like this was a very all-encompassing race for what it’s like to do mountain running in Alaska,” said Theisen. “(The) Lower-48 has a lot of switchbacks and very developed, almost commercial, trails. Alaska, in very typical fashion — especially here in Kodiak for this series — is like rugged trail with rugged people doing it.”

While Theisen’s training fluctuates depending on the season, his overall philosophy revolves around what he calls ‘the gift of speed.’

“If you’re fit or you’re fast, then you’re probably gonna be good at most things that you try,” said Theisen, drawing inspiration from Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway.

Theisen did hard efforts for three consecutive days to mimic the stage races in preparation for the series and to get a feel for how his body would handle the fatigue. He also did time trials in New Mexico and Flagstaff, Ariz. to build up his lactate threshold, while mentally preparing for trails he described as more gradual than Mount Marathon and slightly less technical than Matanuska Peak.

Hannah LaCroix experienced a closer battle in the women’s race with fellow Anchorage resident Julianne Dickerson.

Dickerson held a 43-second lead over LaCroix following a picturesque day one (Heitman Mt.), while LaCroix made up the stagger and then some by winning day two (Sharatin Mt.) on a fog-shrouded day.

The conquest for the overall title turned into a head-to-head battle, with added competition from Marina Cummiskey — best known for her swimming prowess while at Kodiak High and Simon Fraser — who reached the summit in first.

While LaCroix trailed Cummiskey by 23 seconds, the 37-year-old full-time nurse eventually passed the swimmer-turned-trail-runner as the route continued towards the unpaved road. But her lead would be short-lived, as a fast-charging Dickerson would catch LaCroix and hang on for a ten-second win.

Though Dickerson claimed two victories, LaCroix’s cumulative time would declare her victorious in one of the biggest wins of her career.

“I am proud of myself,” said LaCroix, an Alaskan resident of 10-plus years who originally hails from Washington. “The first and the second (mountains) were the best. The last one, the road was brutal.”

LaCroix prepared herself for the series by incorporating hill sprints into her training, as prescribed by her coach Libby Kugel, who also competed in the stage race. While she admits that downhills are not her forte, LaCroix ended up using her uphill strength to her advantage, leading her all the way to the top of the podium.

“She is the most humble,” shared Dr. Julia Shatten, a friend of LaCroix who also competed in the stage race. “Not on Strava, not on social media, she just runs.”

“We really felt that the community was excited (that) we were here.”

LaCroix, Dickerson and Theisen also utilized the series as a springboard for subsequent competitions.

Just two weeks later, LaCroix went to place a career-best 13th at Mount Marathon. Dickerson finished three spots back in 16th and added a seventh-place showing at UTMB Mont-Blanc in France — widely considered the most competitive ultramarathon in the world.

Theisen rounded out his year with a trio of top-20 finishes at the US Biathlon IBU Cup Trials in Craftsbury, Vt.

The Kodiak Mountain Series also teamed with local non-profits, in addition to Skinny Raven and USATF, to help put on the series, while collaborating largely with Island Trails Network to expand and maintain the existing trails.

Local Kodiak artist Alli Middleton of Intrinsic Value Design Co. created stained glass art for the series’ top-three finishers and painted glass floats for the overall winners.

“We got our community involved in a ton of ways, from the trail repairs to even just [the] afterparty,” shared co-race director, Michael Bach. “People showed up in ways I never could have imagined.”

This year’s Kodiak Mountain Series is slated to take place from June 18-20.

Registration opens at noon online on Jan. 10, with 140 spots available.

Six additional nonprofit bibs are available to bid on via online auction until Jan. 31.

2025 Kodiak Mountain Series Results (Top 3)

MEN

1. Achilles Theisen, 3:15:11
2. Beck Haywood, 3:28:43
3. David Penfield, 3:41:51

WOMEN

1. Hannah LaCroix, 4:02:42
2. Julianne Dickerson, 4:04:01
3. Annie Connelly, 4:14:06

TEAM

1. Chicken Jockeys, 4:30:46
2. Team P, 5:59:23
3. Determined Dames, 6:00:52

Full results here.