Forty “brave” runners and hikers participated in the 2024 Kachemak Bay Mountain Classic over the Grace Ridge trail during “extreme weather” on Saturday, Aug. 10, according to information provided by Kathy Sarns, president of the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks board of directors.

“Yesterday during the storm we managed to pull off a successful mountain trail run only accessible by boat thanks to a bunch of wonderful crazy people,” Sarns posted on Facebook on Sunday, Aug. 11. “Grace Ridge sure has a mind of its own and yesterday she was showing off. Fortunately, nobody got blown off the mountain, but some had to crawl across during sustained winds of 40-50 mph and rain and everyone finished — mostly smiling.”

Hikers participating in Saturday’s race were not timed. However, the 12 hikers reportedly finished the course after about five hours, with the fastest hiking time reported at three hours. According to Sarns, the normal hiking time across Grace Ridge is approximately eight or more hours.

For the runners, Rachel Whitmore took first place in the women’s category with a time of two hours, five minutes and 49 seconds. Andrew Peters came first in the men’s category with a time of one hour, 44 minutes and 13 seconds.

No tourists were present on the trail due to the rain and wild conditions on Saturday, Sarns wrote, so the race participants had the 9.5-mile course, which includes a 3,850-foot elevation gain, all to themselves.

“Volunteers saw a bear and an owl on Kayak Beach when they arrived,” she wrote. “And the first hiker saw a huge bear too.”

The event raised over $4,600 for the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks, in memory of Kristine Moerlein, who passed away in February. Moerlein was a volunteer for Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks, helping to clear many of the state park trails and volunteering with the Kachemak Bay Mountain Classic “every year from the beginning to help make the event a reality,” Sarns wrote in an email to Homer News on Monday.

The funds will be used for “making better trails and facilities” for Alaska State Parks, Sarns wrote.

Sarns credited the Kachemak Bay Running Club for their support of the Kachemak Bay Mountain Classic, as well as several water taxi companies that ferried race participants to and from the event location and the numerous volunteers that made this year’s Mountain Classic possible.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/kbaymountainclassic.

2024 Kachemak Bay Mountain Classic results

WOMEN

1. Rachel Whitmore, 2:05:49; 2. Alisa Vereshchagin, 2:14:19; 3. Whitney Harness, 2:20:17; 4. Katie Marden, 2:23:14; 5. KC Kent, 2:35:53; 6. Claire Benton, 2:36:21; 7. Kendra Besh, 2:39:46; 8. Victoria Bergese, 2:40:25; 9. Lisa Wegman, 2:42:06; 10. Jessica Austin, 2:58:22; 11. Elizabeth Roedl, 3:06:31; 12. Bethany Day, 3:14:44; 13. Sondra Stonecipher, 3:24:07; 14. Kelsey Hardy-Place, 3:32:03; 15. Melinda Erickson, 3:59:00; 16. Kendra McAllister, 4:03:15; 17. Janelle Spurkland, 4:03:18.

MEN

1. Andrew Peters, 1:44:13; 2. Denver Waclawski, 1:44:28; 3. Michael Moerlein, 1:54:17; 4. Michael Wawrzyn, 2:05:13; 5. Silas Firth, 2:06:58; 6. Anthony Markuson, 2:20:49; 7. Mark Turner, 2:23:07; 8. Lorne Carroll, 2:24:11; 9. Shane Sandberg, 2:27:50; 10. Matthew Davis, 2:32:22; Jon Erickson, 3:58:59.

Kathy Sarns (left) speaks to the Kachemak Bay Mountain Classic participants before the start of the event on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, at the South Grace Trail head in Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Kathy Sarns

Participants in the Grace Ridge Run/Hike Kachemak Bay Mountain Classic disembark Mako’s Water Taxi at the race starting area on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, at the South Grace Trail head in Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Kathy Sarns