Mount Marathon

Updated and expanded, this new edition of Mount Marathon has the latest race details of the winners, their records, and profiles of the newest champion runners. America's third oldest footrace is a testament to extreme sports and endurance. Starting at sea level, competitors run up and down a 2,992-foot mountain in Seward, Alaska, and they have to do it in less than one hour. The challenge requires a daunting effort that takes runners up some 60-degree slopes on snow and rocks to the summit, and then back down again. The first race in 1909 did not beat the one-hour mark, but the course record set in 1981 still stands at 43 minutes and 21 seconds. The history of this frontier race, from the legend that started it to interviews with many of those who have taken the challenge, and the records set throughout the years by men, women, and age groups, including the race of 2012, makes fascinating reading for runners, spectators, and all who love to read about extreme sports.