3rd Alaskan Big, Long Thing at the Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks, Alaska. A quirky and very hilly (1000m/3300ft of gain) trail marathon starting and finishing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. 45% Jeep road, 35% forest trail, 15% road, 5% rando grass. For a small town (30k) I was pleasantly surprised at the community support. The race was my favorite kind: fun and challenging. I overheard a veteran Eiquinox runner tell the runner next to her “Don’t take it too seriously or you won’t have any fun.” Good advice for this race, and life in general. Fun fact (Hoosier edition): The city was named in honor of Sen. Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana, who would become the 26th Vice President of the United States from 1905 to 1909 under President Theodore Roosevelt.
