Finn Morley, 21, topped the field during Tuesday’s East Glacier Trail Tangle, covering the 4.9-mile course in 33 minutes 11 seconds, and Lauren Tanel, 25, was the top female, placing 10th overall in 43:28.
The starting pack of 32 runners quickly thinned to 10 over the Under Thunder Trail first mile portion led by Morley, Clem Taylor-Roth, 23, Matt Callahan, 37, Ian Novak, 24, John Bursell, 61 and Brandon Ivanowicz, 43.
“Going out with Clem and then just hitting the climb hard,” Morley, 21, said of his race. “We were close the whole way, just a few minutes…and then the downhill, I feel like I can only go so fast downhill. You reach a control or out-of-control point, at least I need to work on that for sure. But the key was just running hard through the uphill, because then it was just downhill from there.”
East Glacier Trail Tangle top finishers Finn Morley (first overall), Laurnen Tanel (first female, 10th overall), Clem Taylor-Roth (second overall) and Matt Callahan (third overall) with canine Zoey. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
A former course for the race had a longer two-mile start at Valley Boulevard, but for the second year the race started at Gladstone Street near the Tongass National Forest sign. Racers then started up the East Glacier Trail switchbacks and straights, to the wooden stairs sections and looped around the trail back to Under Thunder and sprinted what they could muster to the finish.
“Probably having Matt ahead of me on the uphill was key,” Taylor-Roth said. “I started the uphill really slowly. I was not feeling very fast today and so Matt passed me at the start of the climb. And he was like, ‘I actually don’t want to pace off you, you’re going too slow.’ He said that to me (laughs). But I just kept him in my sights and then the long stairs at the top I destroyed myself catching him. That was like a good reminder that I can race again and from there I just tried to run fast and smoothly.”
For Tanel, she was motivated by more than the racing component.
“Just beautiful out in the sun,” Tanel said. “And chasing you.”
She said drinking more water during the day was a key for the race as well.
Morley noted another pivotal factor in his run.
“I just thought of Clem behind me the whole time, breathing,” he said. “And I ran away from him because I was scared.”
The trail is known for twists, turns and interesting sights, but only one racer took a wrong turn out along the Nugget Trail, losing time but gaining a grand view.
Nature aside from the terrain also played a role in the race’s final minutes.
“And the bears,” race director Therese Pokorney said of the race excitement. “There was a pack of runners that had to stop for a few minutes to let a bear and some cubs go by about three-fourths of a mile from the finish. I’ve seen a few bears on this trail and never had an issue. I think they’re used to tourists and will just move when they feel like it. I think it being a sunny and fairly warm evening was a better surprise though.”
David Fure finishes the East Glacier Trail Tangle on Tuesday as race director Therese Pokorney records his time. The 4.9-mile race follows part of Under Thunder Trail around East Glacier Trail and back. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Red lantern runners Tell Spragg, 32, Paige Eddy, 28 and Ricardo Worl, 63, encountered the black bear trio with no difficulty, meeting the “sleuth” of Ursus americanus just as cool-down runners Bursell, Ivanowicz, Ricky Worl and Callahan with his dog Zoey arrived on the scene.
“John, Brandon, and I went on a recovery trot, ran into Ricky, his dad was one of the last three,” Callahan said. “And then we saw a sow and two cubs on the trail, with the last runners on the other side of her. Eventually the Bears moved far enough from the trail that the runners felt comfortable passing by them.”
More than 50 athletes entered the Juneau Trail and Road Runners 4.9- and one-mile races. Rowan Taintor, 12, won the one mile in 6:38, edging out Oliver Albrecht, 11, in 6:39, with Isla Taintor, 7, being the first female, and third overall, in 8:11.
“It was a good turnout for a Tuesday night,” Pokorney said. “I thought it might be a small, chill race, as only 12 registered online, but then people just kept showing up and it was great. I usually run JTRR races, not direct them, so this was a really fun and new experience for me. I had some FOMO (fear of missing out) but seeing everyone have a great time was worth it! Huge shoutout to Karlynn Welling — I wouldn’t have been able to direct the race without her. She’s been directing East Glacier for like 15 years and this was her first year fully handing it off. I could tell she wanted me to really learn the ropes and lock everything down, and she taught me so much. It felt like she was passing the EGTT baton to me. And of course, Tim Mikulski — I couldn’t have done it without him either. He was a huge help with the registration frenzy at the beginning and manned the results board…I love the East Glacier Trail and JTRR needed a director or the race wouldn’t have happened. I think it’s great to offer a weekday race for folks with busy weekends, so I figured I’d give it a shot. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be! I hope this showed some of the younger runners that they can direct races, too, and help keep the Juneau running community alive.”
The next event on the NAOC/JTRR calendar is the one-mile or five-kilometer Dolly Dash Fun Run at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Airport Dike Trail. Contact Destinee Siegel at (907) 789-1235 or dsiegel@aeyc-sea-org for information.
Troy Stallings approaches the finish of the East Glacier Trail Tangle on Tuesday. The 4.9-mile race follows part of Under Thunder Trail around East Glacier Trail and back. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
EAST GLACIER TRAIL TANGLE RESULTS (place, name, age, sex, time):
4.9 MILE
1. Finn Morley, 21, M, 33:11; 2. Clem Taylor-Roth, 23, M, 36:37; 3. Matt Callahan, 37, M, 37:25; 4. Ian Novak, 24, M, 37:40; 5. John Bursell, 61, M, 39:07; 6. Brandon Ivanowicz, 43, M, 39:22; 7. Avery Grossardt, 36, M, 39:34; 8. Andrzej Piotrowski, 47, M, 43:18; 9. Klas Stolpe, 65, M, 43:25; 10. Lauren Tanel, 25, F, 43:28; 11. Quinn Tracy, 45, M, 45:13; 12. Kristen Strom, NA, F, 47:35; 13. Ava Newell, 19, F, 48:37; 20. Riley Crocker, 28, M, 49:26; 21. Ricardo “Ricky” Worl, 26, M, 49:54; 22. Christy Gentemann, 36, F, 50:13; 23. Steven Schmitz, 64, M, 50:43; 24. Holly Handler, 51, F, 51:53; 25. Grace Dumas, 23, F, 52:51; 26. Lauren Sanzone, 45, F, 53:24; 27. Debby Eddy, 56, F, 53:43; 28. Ray Howard, 61, M, 54:10; 29. Becky Bohrer, 47, F / Danielle Dunivin, 35, F, 54:41; 31. Grace Fluharty, 24, F, 54:57; 32. Jeff Hoagland, 54, M, 55:23; 33. April Rezendes, 40, F, 55:45; 34. Troy Stallings, 29, M, 56:51; 35. David Fure, 30, M, 57:07; 36. Tell Spragg, 32, M, 1:15:02; 37. Paige Eddy, 28, F, 1:15:03; Ricardo Worl, 63, M, 1:15:04.
ONE MILE
1. Rowan Taintor, 12, M, 6:38; 2. Oliver Albrecht, 11, M, 6:39; 3. Isla Taintor, 7, F, 8:11; 4. Karinne Wiebold, 47, F, 8:21; 5. Matthew Albrecht, 8, M, 8:59; 6. Madeline Sullivan, 8, F / James Sullivan, 6, M, 10:03; 8. Maria Davis, 43, F, 10:13; 9. Alicia Duncan, 26, F, 10:17; 10. Heidi Teshner, 45, F, 10:25; 11. Chloie Teshner, 7, F / Jennifer Teshner, 5, F, 10:26; 13. Isabelle Sullivan, 10, F, 11:33; 14. Abby Sullivan, 4, F, 12:43; 15. Clint Sullivan, 44, M, 12:44; 16. Alexandra Fochi, 59, F, 18:04; 17. Roeland Vandevelde, 60, M, 18:06; 18. Heather Parker, 39, F, no time recorded.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
Grace Fluharty approaches the finish of the East Glacier Trail Tangle on Tuesday. The 4.9-mile race follows part of Under Thunder Trail around East Glacier Trail and back. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Becky Bohrer and Danielle Dunivin approach the finish of the East Glacier Trail Tangle on Tuesday. The 4.9-mile race follows part of Under Thunder Trail around East Glacier Trail and back. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Quinn Tracy approaches the finish of the East Glacier Trail Tangle on Tuesday. The 4.9-mile race follows part of Under Thunder Trail around East Glacier Trail and back. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
