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The Mount Marathon Race, in Seward, Alaska, is a July 4th tradition that has been going on for over 100 years.
The premise is simple: Run from the town, at sea level, to the top of 3,022-foot Mount Marathon and back. The total distance is only around five kilometers (“3.1 – 3.5 miles, depending on route,” according to the race website), but the steep climb and gnarly descent make it one tough race.
This video, from Salomon Running TV, follows top trail athletes Kilian Jornet, Emelie Forsberg and Rickey Gates as they run the 2015 race and explore what Alaskan mountain running has to offer. (Forsberg and Jornet won the 2015 race, both in course-record time.)