The Alaska Endurance Trail Run is a timed race, meaning that runners race the clock to see how far you can go in the allotted time. There are three options: a 6-hour race, a 12-hour race, and a 24-hour race; sign up for any of the three. Most races will …
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The Alaska Endurance Trail Run is a timed race, meaning that runners race the clock to see how far you can go in the allotted time. There are three options: a 6-hour race, a 12-hour race, and a 24-hour race; sign up for any of the three. Most races will finish at the same time, which should make for an exciting completion of the day (particularly for our timers!). Immediately following the finish, the post-race BBQ party will start, with the awards ceremony as soon as results are ready.
It worked out great last year, so once again 6-hour racers can opt to start at either 8AM or 2PM on Saturday.
The starting area will be at the ski hut near the parking lot behind the International Arctic Research Center. This is the building adjacent to and on the north side of the Geophysical Institute in the upper campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The address is 930 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, Alaska.
The main AETR course consists of a roughly 6 mile loop on the trails of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) West Ridge. This is a world-class Nordic ski area during the winter, so the trails are well-maintained and reasonably smooth, with gravel, grass, and forest duff surfaces. They pass through heavily forested areas, open fields, and meadows, so there is plenty of variety to keep your interest during the run. There are no road crossings, other than a couple of gravel maintenance roads, and the only concrete is a short section (maybe 300 feet) along a paved bike path on the east side of the course to get around Ballaine Lake. Even there, you can run alongside the bike path on gravel or grass.
The trails are mildly technical in places, mainly with roots but also with the occasional fallen branches and trees. Depending on how spring breakup goes, and how much rain we get leading up to the event, there may be some soggy spots.
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Twenty-four hour run in Alaska
The Alaska Endurance Trail Run is held on the wide, unpaved cross country ski trails adjacent to the University of Alaska Campus. The trails are varied: mostly dirt, some of … MORE
The Alaska Endurance Trail Run is held on the wide, unpaved cross country ski trails adjacent to the University of Alaska Campus. The trails are varied: mostly dirt, some of which is covered with wood chips, as well as grassy fields with wet spots. In fact, there are quite a few soggy places which makes keeping one’s feet dry almost impossible. The only wildlife that I saw on the trail were red squirrels, although I did see some moose sign. It was interesting to run through the night when the sun did drop below the horizon for a couple of hours, but it never really got dark. In fact, I didn’t need a headlamp at any time. There were no finisher medals, but running in Alaska is enough reward in itself.
Exceeded my expectations!
This was a small ultramarathon, probably because of the long distance that most ultrarunners from the lower 48 states have to travel, but it was definitely worth the effort. Except … MORE
This was a small ultramarathon, probably because of the long distance that most ultrarunners from the lower 48 states have to travel, but it was definitely worth the effort. Except for a lot of wet ground, the course was relatively easy with just a couple of noticeable climbs. The race director was very humble and gracious, and everything went off with a hitch. There were no finisher awards given, but the scenery and location more than made up for it. There was a lunch served after the race with hot dogs and hamburgers, and runners were encouraged to bring a potluck dish which fostered a sense of community. As expected, most of the runners were from Alaska, and were very warm and friendly. It wasn’t so much the course, but the people that would bring me back again if I have the chance.