LeMaitre: Any time that Ive experienced anything like thisfriends who have gotten into car accidents and died, losing my grandmother to illnessthere was closure for that. And theres just never been a trace of him found. A quest to create a multi-stage tour designed specifically for runners. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. A jogger vanishes from the top of Mt Marathon in Alaska and a witness describes seeing a monstrous, airplane-sized raptor around the time of the disappearance . Seward's Mount Marathon is one of the most watched, single-day sporting events in the 49th state. Jenna Hutchins (born March 25, 2004),[1] is a high school and "Under 20" record-breaking American long distance runner from Johnson City, Tennessee. But according to OutsideOnline, it's tough: 'The race, which has been run as an organized event since 1915, is a beast, with a 3,022-foot vertical gain and loss over icy and treacherous mountain terrain, where runners pick their own way upand downthe average 38-degree slope.'. No sign of LeMaitre has been found. He was last seen at about 6pm by an official who was heading down the mountain. Mountain rescue experts, firemen, state troopers, search dogs and LeMaitres family spent thousands of hours searching the area but without a single clue being found. A pickup truck belonging to 35-year-old Kristin Snyder, an Anchorage environmental consultant, was found in the parking lot not far from the start of that trail in February 2003. But theres also a trail that continues, and it would have been very easy for him to keep going on that trail. There was an extensive search, his bereaved family also continued to search. THE MOTIVATIONThe record time, set in 1981 by Bill Spencer, is 43:21. A missing runner. He never showed up. LeMaitre was running Mount Marathon for the first time. On July 7, with no progress made and resources dwindling, search efforts were scaled back. Casey Grove is the host of Alaska News Nightly and a general assignment reporter at Alaska Public Media with an emphasis on crime and courts. At the time of her disappearance, troopers said that there was a note in her truck saying she didn't want a search. People were out searching, helicopter going constantly. Thats when Anchorage resident Michael LeMaitre went missing while running the race, never to be seen again. The race is short, only three miles long. Everyone involved in the Marathon Mountain event asks the question, how does someone disappear during a three-mile race and be lost forever, without a trace? Other remains associated with the man were found in the same area in 1997, according to troopers. There was an extensive search, his bereaved family also continued to search. Once competitors have reached the summit, the faster ones can make it back down to the ground in under ten minutes. A partial human jawbone was found near Tonsina Point, a few mountainous miles away, in 2014. While running the Mount Marathon race in Alaska, Michael LeMaitre disappeared. No additional information is available. Alaska Public Media 2023. Heres What To Know About the 2023 Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB, Outside is Partnering with UTMB To Bring You Onto The Trails and Into the Action with Live and On-Demand Race Streaming. I want to inspire people to dream big and go out there and make it happen!. He confirmed he was doing fine. Do we advocate for complete personal responsibility, or do race organizers have authority to begin dictating the course? For the next 24 minutes or so, its just steep. He was definitely physically fit. But crews found no sign of LeMaitre. All rights reserved. The chutes had snow bridges on them that have been collapsing all summer. Where to watch . Published: Jun. Its a bad idea to come down that way, but people do it. Weve never had anything this severe. Lost without a trace, not even clothing - black shorts, a black T-shirt and a black headband. And the race is so risky and dangerous the whole time. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). Michael was competing for the first time in the 85th running of the Mount Marathon race, with participants running up the mountain surrounded, by thick forests and creeks over 3.1 to 3.5 miles. They found no proof or sign of life. Starting in downtown Seward, racers run a half-mile to the bottom of Mount Marathon, then scrabble about 2,900 vertical feet straight up cliffs and mud and shale before getting to Race Point, an artificial summit point. The senior went 16:07.50 for 5,000 meters at in the open section of the event at the Penn Relays.. Mount Marathon is the superbowl of Alaskan mountain running, the ultimate 4th of July celebration, one of my first experiences with competitive running, and . Unusually, in this 2012 event, three people were hurt, including one man who suffered serious head injuries. Fink: You start in downtown Seward, 4th avenue, and the street is all lined with spectators. We spoke separately to Karol Fink, a Mount Marathon organizer and 19-year race veteran who ran this year, and to MaryAnne LeMaitre, whose father has yet to be found. Montana Women's Run is a proud member of the Road Runners Club of America. Michelle Theriault Boots: During that race, it was terrible weather. Box 2530 :: Billings, MT 59103 406-255-8488 2023 Montana Women's Run. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. The 66-year-old businessman and grandfather was last seen about three hours into the race, climbing just shy of the races turnaround point at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. [13] That mark was the fastest girls' U18 time in the world in 2020. "We haven't been able to rule out anybody,'' Alaska State Trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen said Friday, but she admitted that distance and topography alone make it unlikely the jawbone is that of LeMaitre. Michael LeMaitre could have taken just a few wrong turns, and then very quickly was in the thousands and thousands of impenetrable, mountainous wilderness in the Kenai mountains. CBS News Bay Area: Free 24/7 News CBS Bay Area App Echard says this years race highlighted the need to shrink the field. [8], Before injury shortened her season, Jenna posted nation-leading times in the 1600 (4:44.13) and 3200 meters (9:52.33) and lowered her own Science High 800 meter record to 2:13.65. It was about 8 p.m. local time on July 4 when Seward, Alaska's Fire Department received word that 66-year-old Michael LeMaitre of Anchorage, was missing. Michaels daughter, MaryAnne said My dadhe has always had an adventurous spirit: He did the Iditaski several times; he had a lot of exciting adventures on the water. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. So that I think is discouraging of people who are going to be taking four or five, six hours much longer to complete the race. Theres no designated trailyou just pick the best line. MaryAnne walked the mountain for weeks, looking for her dad. Family losing hope of finding missing runner on Mount Marathon SI Staff Aug 9, 2012 ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Peggy LeMaitre no longer holds out hope that her husband is alive five weeks -. It was rainy, it was foggy, and he just never came down the mountain. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He was apparently fit and healthy, having been a regular visitor to the gym and had finished a 12K event a month earlier, but despite the warning, he had never visited the course and he chose to continue. So that I think is discouraging of people who are going to be taking four or five, six hours much longer to complete the race. Her husband of 43 years, Michael LeMaitre, was last seen on July 4, about 200 feet from the top of Mount Marathon in Seward, south of Anchorage. The chutes had snow bridges on them that have been collapsing all summer. There are no sweepers that follow the Red Lantern, the last runner down the mountain, to ensure every person has gotten off the mountain. The Half Marathon has been selected by RRCA as the Montana State Championship Race. The average speed uphill is 2 mph. THE STARTBibs have typically been limited to 350 men, 350 women, and 200 juniors, but this year the race was expanded to accommodate 400 in each of the mens and womens races. Law enforcement has to place eyes on him, alive and well, McDaniel said. Hours later, search and rescue teams were called onto the mountain at around 8 pm by his wife Peggy with temperatures falling and rain worsening. "She has a great work ethic," said Frankie Nunn, head coach of Tennessee High. She ran there and doubled as a forward and midfielder in soccer. Grove: What do you think this story tells people about Alaska or about what happened to this guy? As of August 2019, no trace of Michael has been found. And finally, I decided that I needed to go on the mountain by myself, because thats how he did the race. As ADN reporter Michelle Theriault Boots told Alaska Public Medias Casey Grove, race volunteers were the last people to see LeMaitre near the top of the mountain. If my dad had fallen in one of those chutes and a snow bridge had collapsed over him, the infrared helicopters wouldnt have been able to find him. . Race organisers take no responsibility for Michaels disappearance: Race volunteers spoke with Mr. LeMaitre as he was approaching the turnaround point and let him know the race was over, the statement said. It consumed the energy of the town. Yeaton has been nursing an. Park officials did not indicate how he died, but a friend told the New York Times Thursday he had fallen. This was an extreme event and he was last seen on July 4, 2012 about 200 feet from the top of Mount Marathon, a 3022 feet high peak. You can unsubscribe anytime. He was very adventurous. The biggest factor was the record snowthe trail conditions were unlike anything they had seen beforeice underneath. There is not an active search for him currently, McDaniel said. Prior to the race this year, former race director Chuck Echard had written a letter to the Seward Phoenix Log expressing his opinion that the race field should be decreasedthe event, he contended, wasnt for everyone. THE SETTINGMount Marathon in the Kenai Mountain range in southern Alaska looms over town of Seward, an active fishing port, with a population of about 3,000. In the women's race, rookie Allie McLaughlin from Colorado separated from the field early and held on to smash the women's. He said that hes thought a lot about whats happened. The community is pretty heartbroken about it, and so many have reminded me that people are going to keep looking. The. We tell people that you run it at your own risk. We've received your submission. The top finishers are under 45 minutes. And potential participants should practice [the course]., Womens winner Holly Brooks, also of Anchorage, contends that the risk involved is simply a part of the race. We have a safety meeting ahead of time that you have to attend. Its not uncommon for racers to be injured, running to the top of 3,022-foot Mount Marathon and back down again. I guess I'm headed down the rabbit hole now. No trace. There is an entry limit, with around 90 percent of the participants being returnees and with a coveted lottery ticket system in place. Then you drop into a creek bed. But what happened in the 2012 Mount Marathon Race really stands out in Alaska lore. He left the ADN in 2015. Theres a rule that if youre much slower than then most of the runners you have to make it halfway up in one hour, or youll be disqualified. You know, a lot of people kept saying, you need some sort of closure. Outdoors she ranked first at 3200m, running 9:49.83. If you would be willing to assist in the search for Michael LeMaitre, please contact the Seward Volunteer Fire Department via their webpage. No clothing has been spotted and no human remains have been discovered . The crowd cheered when Matt Novakovich won the 3.5-mile race in less than 45 minutes . Website by Zee Creative. Race organisers take no responsibility for Michaels disappearance: Missing mom & baby- Gabriella Harkness Located, Bizarre Stories from the Alaska Triangle Successscan, Bizarre Stories from the Alaska Triangle Mid American News. The mystery of what happened to LeMaitre is the subject ofthe Anchorage Daily News Curious Alaska columnthis week.