Runner’s World — The Last Man Up

February 14, 2013 10:34 am

Mount Marathon is a race that takes place every year on the 4th of July in the small town of Seward, Alaska. The run is only mile and a half up and a mile and a half down a large mountain that towers over the city, but with an average speed of only 2 miles per hour, you can think of it more as a climb than a race. It is not uncommon for people to cross the finish line bloodied with broken bones. But never in the race’s 105 year history has anyone ever gone missing – until the past summer when Michael LeMaitre disappeared.

Back in December I was asked to photograph some of the people involved and I’ve posted the pictures below. To read the piece written by Christopher Solomon click here.

r-young-mount-marathon-1

Mount Marathon

r-young-mount-marathon-2

Veteran timekeeper Tom Walsh was the last man to speak to LeMaitre, just a short distance from the race's summit.

r-young-mount-marathon-3

Race official and veteran participant Flip Foldager is one of the many Sewardites grappling with the harsh realities of their beloved event.

r-young-mount-marathon-4

Cedar Bourgeois grew up in the shadow of Mount Marathon and became a local legend for winning the race seven consecutive times.

r-young-mount-marathon-5

Fire Chief Dave Squires has witnessed countless race injuries over the years, but LeMaitre's disappearance was a first.

r-young-mount-marathon-6

Anchorage native Brad Precosky is one of the most decorated runners in the history of the the Mount Marathon race.

r-young-mount-marathon-7

Peggy LeMaitre grieves at her Anchorage home. She keeps close the last photo taken of her husband on Mount Marathon (below).

last-pic

This was the last picture taken of Michael LeMaitre. Photo Credit: Davis Stewart (AP)

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *