Hannah Lafleur and Pyper Dixon led a strong Seward contingent Saturday at the 57th Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks. Runners faced temperatures in the 30s, as well as snow, wind and rain on the 26.2-mile course, which racks up 1,800 feet of elevation climb and loss on the trails and roads west of Fairbanks.
Lafleur, who won the women’s Mount Marathon Race this year, dueled with Palmer’s Christy Marvin and Anchorage’s Katie Krehlik to finish second at 3 hours, 25 minutes and 18 seconds. Marvin, last year’s Kenai River Marathon winner, outran Lafleur in the final mile to win at 3:23:59. That’s the fourth straight Equinox title for Marvin, and the sixth overall. That ties her with Stan Justice, Matias Saari and Bob Murphy for the most race victories.
Anchorage’s Julianne Dickerson, who grew up in Kenai, finished fourth at 3:27:11. Former Kenai Peninsula resident Meg Inokuma, now of Palmer, was sixth in 3:38:57.
The men’s race saw a historic record fall. Aaron Fletcher of Anchorage broke Stan Justice’s vaunted 1984 race record of 2:41:30. Fletcher, who will race at the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta in February, finished at 2:38:14 despite the tough conditions.
Seward’s Pyper Dixon led the peninsula by finishing eighth at 3:23:58, while Collin Atkinson was 11th in 3:29:31.
57th Equinox Marathon
Saturday in Fairbanks
Kenai Peninsula finishers
Women
2. Hannah Lafleur, Seward, 3 hours, 25 minutes, 18 seconds; 31. Kristen Sieminski, Seward, 4:30:44; 50. KellyAnn Cavaretta, Seward, 4:52:00; 60. Kat Sorensen, Seward, 4:59:01; 126. Janelle Spurkland, Homer, 6:00:44; 133. Kelley Lane, Seward, 6:05:09; 134. Lila Johnson, Homer, 6:08:08.
Men
8. Pyper Dixon, Seward, 3:23:58; 11. Collin Atkinson, Seward, 3:29:31; 28. Erik Johnson, Seward, 3:53:08; 29. Trevor Kreznar, Seward, 3:53:11; 33. Sean Ulman, Seward, 3:59:00; 54. Bill Keller, Soldotna, 4:18:38; 61. Kevin Knotek, Moose Pass, 4:25:02; 66. James Mitchell, Seward, 4:28:48; 87. Karl Romig, Seward, 4:42:06; 115. Derek Bynagle, Homer, 4:57:38; 123. Brian Burns, Homer, 5:04:28; 146. Daniel Bunker, Homer, 5:23:53; 185. Fred Moore, Seward, 6:05:09.
