Trent/Waldron Glacier Half-Marathon
Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 9 AM at Westchester Lagoon
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The 24th Glacier Half-Marathon occurs on Saturday, May 29, 2010, at 9 AM at Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage. The Glacier Half-Marathon was created by John Trent in 1985 as a Mother's Day present to his wife, Marcie. John and Marcie helped pioneer the running community in Anchorage. The name of the event was more appropriate in its original setting in Portage. The event has been held at other locations before settling at Westchester Lagoon to take advantage to the Chester Creek and Tony Knowles Coast trail system.
On July 1, 1995, Marcie Trent (77) and her son, Larry Waldron (45) were killed in a bear attack while marathon training on the McHugh Peak trail east of Anchorage. To honor the family's contribution to running, the event subsequently transformed into the Trent/Waldron Glacier Half-Marathon (TWGHM). To honor their running heritage, the race is run against the most recent age-adjusted time for this course. Generally, as you get older, you are given additional time to match the younger effort. Runners who can match or better their goal time will receive a commemorative mug. First-time participants will be establishing their time for next year. Marcie would have been 92 with a goal time of 5:18:13, so the course will be open until 1:18:13 PM if individuals who will take over three hours for the half-marathon use the 8 AM early start. Runners and walkers of all abilities are encouraged to participate.
The TWGHM is held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. This year the date will be May 29th. From a starting line at Westchester Lagoon, runners head east on the Chester Creek trail before wrapping around Tikishla Park just before the trail crosses over Northern Lights Blvd. The course backtracks to Westchester and then turns south onto the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail before another turn around just before the Postmark Drive parking lot overlooking the city. Runners then return to Westchester Lagoon to finish in front of the Covey House Café. There are five water stations, spaced every two to three miles.
Admission to the event is by Anchorage Running Club (ARC) membership, which can be obtained at Active.com. The TWGHM is the second in the series of runs put on for ARC members. Due to the volunteer nature of the event, pre- and early registration is encouraged to reduce the administrative burden of compiling results on race day. ARC members can complete registration using the Constant Contract survey with their first name, last name, sex, date of birth, and whether they have entered this event previously. Individuals who register by 5 PM on Tuesday are encouraged to pick up their bibs at Skinny Raven on Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Others can also register in person at this time. Individuals can continue to register on-line until Friday at 5 PM and have their bibs ready for quick pick up on race day.