Christy Marvin of Palmer won the women's division of the 86th Mount Marathon Race in her first attempt on Thursday, prevailing in 53 minutes, 21 seconds on a muddy day in Seward.
Former junior girls division champion Allison Barnwell took second, nearly two minutes back in 55:13. Ann Spencer, the daughter of eight-time men's champion Bill Spencer, claimed third in 56:17.
The 2013 women's race was essentially an open field, with the absence of Anchorage Olympians and back-to-back Mount Marathon winners Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks. Randall's 2011 victory and Brooks' win in 2012 set a high bar for Thursday's competitors, with Randall crossing the finish line in 52:03 and Brooks putting in a time of 51:53.
Competitors start on the street in Seward and run up and down the 3,000-foot peak before returning to sea level for the finish.
In the junior division, boys and girls up to the age of 17 race only halfway up the mountain. Soldotna's Allison Ostrander picked up her record fifth girls division title with a time of 31 minutes, 41 seconds. She posted a victory margin of nearly six minutes.
Lyon Kopsack of Palmer won his first boys division crown after a pair of runner-up finishes with a time of 27 minutes, four seconds. Kopsack's father and uncle have both competed in the Mount Marathon Race for three decades.
The men's race saw 2011 winner Eric Strabel retake his crown, passing Ricky Gates in the race's final moments. Both Strabel's 42:55 and Gates' 43:05 were fast enough to break Bill Spencer's Mount Marathon record of 43:21, set in 1981.
Contact Kevin Wells
Channel 2's Chris Klint contributed information to this story.
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