Allan Spangler won his third race of the season in Saturday’s Eaglecrest Road &Mountain Run 9.5-mile course.
Like in the Perseverance Trail Run two weeks earlier, another runner kept Spangler company for most of the race, but ultimately couldn’t catch up to the avid runner.
After climbing about 2,600 feet to the top of Ptarmigan Chair, Spangler barreled down the mountain’s service road and finished in front of Porcupine Lodge in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 21 seconds. Shawn Miller followed with a time of 1:14:51.
“That was actually really good,” Spangler said of racing Miller. “On the first climb on the bottom of the road, I tried pushing it pretty hard. And then I turned around and I realized he had gained on me. So I kept going really hard for a long time.”
Miller said Spangler’s efficiency and strength reminded him of his younger self.
“It’s amazing to see someone of that high level out there just making it look easy. I find it really inspiring,” Miller said. “At the same time, it’s also great to see so many other people out here, too, just giving it their best or just doing it because they can.”
One of those people was 31-year-old Luke Rosier, who finished four spots behind Miller.
It was Rosier’s first time to Eaglecrest but likely not his last. The Seward runner wants to explore as many trails as possible while taking university classes this summer.
“I’m just in awe of the ridges, excited to get up on those,” Rosier said. “But you gotta get through the roots and mud to get up there — they’re kind of guarded.”
The Juneau Trail and Road Runners event attracted close to 70 runners, about half of whom opted not to run the full-course that started near sea level on Fish Creek Road and climbed several thousand feet before descending another thousand. The other courses remained solely on the road or the mountain.
The Tuckwood clan swept the top three spots in the 4.5-mile mountain-only course. Sisters Sadie and Skylar led mom Cindy to the finish line, each running up and down the mountain in under 50 minutes. Brian McTague won the 5-mile road-only course with a time of 42:12.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.
