Alyeska Climbathon Rises to the Top

Top male finished Ben Marvin crosses the finish line after completing 13 laps of the Alyeska North Face trail. (Photo by Chase Berenson)

By Chase Berenson

TNews Staffwriter

Once each summer for the last 18 years the North Face Trail up Mount Alyeska has converted from a peaceful but strenuous hiking trail to a scene of athletic endurance for Alyeska Climbathon, which took place on Saturday, September 6th.  The premise of Climbathon is simple: from 9AM-7PM, competitors have ten hours to complete as many laps as possible hiking up the North Face and taking the Alyeska Tram back down to the base of the mountain.  Of course, this isn’t just an easy hike; the 2.2-mile hike includes over 2,000 feet of elevation!

More important than just being a long, fun day on the mountain, Climbathon is a fundraiser for the Girdwood Health Clinic (in the process of rebranding to Turnagain Community Health) and Let Every Woman Know, an Alaskan non-profit organization that is dedicated preventing, facing, and ending gynecological cancers.

337 racers of all different skill levels and abilities joined together to race up Mount Alyeska.  The group included some of Alaska’s most elite mountain runners as well as cancer survivors and supporters of cancer survivors for whom this was the first time they had completed this type of hike.  According to Tessa Ely, the Executive Director of Let Every Woman Know, her favorite thing about the day was, “The range of people on the mountain all sharing the trail.”  She continued, “Climbathon is an event that really brings people together.”

The weather on Climbathon day was variable, with heavy fog sometimes obscuring the view from the top of Alyeska and even rain pouring down for a while.  The trail became a bit slick and muddy over the course of the day, but the weather couldn’t damped participants’ spirits.

The top runner of the day was Ben Marvin of Palmer, Alaska, who completed 13 laps of the mountain, tying the record for the highest number of laps in Climbathon history; he covered over 28.6 miles and 26,000 feet of elevation.  For women competitors, Shauna Severson of Eagle River set a new female Climbathon record by completing 12 laps in nine hours, 37 minutes, 58 seconds.

Race Director Brian Burnett at the awards ceremony after Climbathon at the Sitzmark. (Photo by Chase Berenson)

It was impressive to see the women’s record fall, but Race Director Brian Burnett (more commonly known around Girdwood as Burntski) also appreciated some of the non-traditional elements of athleticism.  At the Award Ceremony, he applauded the first “three-generation climb” with three men spanning three generations of one family.  He said, “It makes me happy that the community is showing up like that to Climbathon.”

Another record that fell this year is Climbathon’s fundraising!  As of press time, Climbathon has raised over $109,000 for the Girdwood Health Clinic and Let Every Woman Know.  The top individual fundraiser was Debbie Boots of Anchorage with $4,565, while the top team fundraiser was Dimond Vision Clinic - Elevate Eye Care with $5,225.

Community was an important element of the day.  This year’s Climbathon featured participants from all over the state and even the Lower 48, but it also included a significant number of Girdwood locals.  Especially considering that Let Every Woman Know is an Alaska-based organization and the Girdwood Health Clinic is located here in Girdwood, it’s great to see local turnout.  Deb Erickson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Girdwood Health Clinic, said that she appreciates the support and that, “The Girdwood community shows up to lift up both the Clinic and Let Every Woman Know.”

After a long day of activity, the day culminated at the Sitzmark with Burnett hosting the awards ceremony followed by a show by Blackwater Railroad Company.  This was the only night outside the winter season that the Sitzmark was open in 2025.

This year’s Climbathon sold out in record time of less than 48 hours, so if you are interested in participating next year make sure that you register early!

(Publisher’s Note: Welcome Chase to our Turnagain News journalism team. We look for you to continue to write about the news in Turnagain Arm. Welcome aboard!)

Blackwater Railroad Company plays the Climbathon after party at the Sitzmark. (Photo by Chase Berenson)