Thale Randall attacks the downhill en route to victory. Photo by Todd List
Willow’s Thale Randall slid into Mount Marathon history — literally and figuratively — taking the junior title in 27 minutes, 28 seconds.
The 15-year-old used a blazing downhill to seal the deal, demolishing the competition on a slippery course to earn his first boys title.
Randall reached the base of the mountain in sixth and moved up into second by the turnaround point, where he trailed Fort Wainwright’s Nathan Vanderlugt by 51 seconds.
The deficit didn’t deter Randall, who surged past Vanderlugt and built a sizable gap, thanks to a blistering 7:29 split — the quickest of the 300-person field comprised of boys and girls — down the half-mountain. This also included an impromptu slide after the finish line, as his legs began to buckle.
Randall, who finished eighth last summer and 25th in his debut, kept a level-headed approach entering the race, while steadily adding to his growing resume.
Hailing from a family of mushers, Randall finished third at the Junior Iditarod in 2026, before turning his attention to the trails where he established himself as one of the pre-race favorites.
Vanderlugt took runner-up in 28:11, followed by Anchorage’s Ethan Elliott in 28:26.
Mount Marathon
Boys Top 10
- Thale Randall, 27:28
- Nathan Vanderlugt, 28:11
- Ethan Elliott, 28:26
- Raven Spangler, 29:30
- Aksel Flagstad, 29:33
- Easton Roads, 29:50
- Jagger Price, 30:35
- Logan Fellman, 30:44
- Elias Williams, 30:56
- Theodore Stamoolis, 30:58
Full results here.
Wren Spangler battles with Sampson Antrim to the finish. Photo courtesy of Mount Marathon Race
After three straight finishes in the top-3, Palmer’s Wren Spangler can finally add her name to the winner’s circle.
Just 14 years old, Spangler took the lead before the turnaround point and never looked back, winning the girls race in 31 minutes, 9 seconds.
Spangler has already established herself as a veteran in the junior race, with an illustrious resume to back it up, alternating between third and second over the past three editions of the race and placing 11th in her debut.
With experience on her side, Spangler kept an eye on the early leaders up the road portion where she sat seventh, before surging into the lead well before the turnaround point.
The damp overcast conditions proved no challenge for Spangler, who glided down the half-mountain in 8:43, which included a sprint finish with Seward’s Sampson Antrim — a battle similar to, but much closer than that of Kenai’s Allie Ostrander and Seward’s Michael Marshall back in 2014.
Both were credited with the same time, as Antrim sped to 11th in the boys race and Spangler slashed nearly three minutes off her previous best.
Marshall’s father, Dan, a retired cross country coach and newly inducted into the Alaska High School Hall of Fame, was the ceremonial starter.
Anchorage’s Calista Zuber, the defending champion, finished runner-up in 33:10 after leading up the initial road section, while Seward’s Juniper Ingalls rounded out the top three in 33:16.
Mount Marathon
Girls Top 10
- Wren Spangler, 31:09
- Calista Zuber, 33:10
- Juniper Ingalls, 33:16
- Rylee Ruggles, 34:13
- Claire Shaha, 35:07
- Chloe Shaha, 35:19
- Ellie Abrahamson, 35:19
- Pascale Kirby, 35:22
- Alise Elliott, 35:33
- Audrey Mortenson, 35:34
Full results here.
