Race volunteers headed down the mountain told him to make the turn and follow them to the finish. The mountain is always there. No sign of LeMaitre has been found. A member of the LeMaitre family said Alaska State Troopers told him it did not appear the partial human jawbone found in the mountains above Tonsina Point south of the city belongs to the 65-year-old who disappeared during the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2012. Im still very curious to have someone go out there and checkhis body could be there. They did have pit stops, but by the time he got to the top, it was all packed up. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. But I think theres a lot of people who still very much want to know what happened to Michael LeMaitre. I wonder how his wife managed to have him declared dead barely 3 months after he went missing. My dad was in last place. The mountain is so close to townyou can hear the announcer all the way up. He was plodding along and was in last place. I have a friend from Seward. Weve never had anything this severe. In February, she finished 4th in the Millrose Games indoor mile, setting a state indoor record at 15-years-old. LeMaitre was declared legally dead in October 2012 after a court proceeding known as a presumed death trial. This article originally appeared in our October, 2012 issue. Alaska's Mutant Monkeys. LeMaitre: The parts that were most dangerous, he had already gone up them. Trailing behind the other runners, LeMaitre was last seen near the summit by a race official. An extensive search turned up nothing. Officials took a photo of Michael at the halfway point and he was smiling and seemed happy to continue. Is The High Lonesome 100 The Future of Ultrarunning Equity? When you get to the top, most racers go around. The Marathon course is a certified Boston qualifier. Fink: We expect changes after this year, but you need to strike a balance. LeMaitre: The biggest factor was the record snowthe trail conditions were unlike anything they had seen beforeice underneath. Next was the womens race, and it was a pleasant temperature, in the low 60s, with a little bit of fog blowing in and out in strips. Missing Florida mother found deceased in Alabama, Where is 4-year-old Codi Bigsby, missing from Hampton, VA, Ill either see you again or never see you again The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson, Destiny Jacksons body was found in the Las Vegas desert after she was killed during a car jacking, Spooky Houses youll be DYING to stay far away from, Suzanne Morphew (49) has been missing since May 10th, 2020 her husband has been arrested, FOUND SAFE- Laura Lacie Read- missing from Midtown, Houston, after her child is found alone, Dr. Beth Potter, her husband, Robin Carre were killed and found in a ditch, Missing Child Alert: Taylor Rose Williams (5) is missing from Jacksonville, Florida. Fink: Distance in this race isnt as critical as vertical. The 2012 race saw broken bones and lacerations for some competitors. There is an entry limit, with around 90 percent of the participants being returnees and with a coveted lottery ticket system in place. Lost without a trace, not even clothing - black shorts, a black T-shirt and a black headband. Casey Grove is the host of Alaska News Nightly and a general assignment reporter at Alaska Public Media with an emphasis on crime and courts. Thats the reality of it. Back to Top . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Miracle in ice: Indian mountain climber found alive days after falling into crevasse, Famed Irish mountain climber dies descending from peak in Nepal, Triple-amputee soldier climbs Kilimanjaro to deliver a burger, Lost a dear friend: Adventurer crushed to death saving climber after huge ice column splits. The red lantern in the race from downtown Seward to Race Point high up on Mount Marathon and then back, LeMaitre was last seen just a few hundred feet below the point in 2012. "She has a great work ethic," said Frankie Nunn, head coach of Tennessee High. Since all the snow hadnt melted out from the creek bed, there were some snow bridges that you had to cross that were really creepy. In 2014, Michaels family settled a lawsuit with the Seward Chamber of Commerce. But anything could have happened. Hours later, search and rescue teams were called onto the mountain at around 8 pm by his wife Peggy with temperatures falling and rain worsening. Signs posted on the lower mountain, site of the most dangerous cliffs, point out alternate descent routes and rate their difficulty. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Starting in downtown Seward, racers run a half-mile to the bottom of Mount Marathon, then scrabble about 2,900 vertical feet straight up cliffs and mud and shale before getting to Race Point, an artificial summit point. A partial human jawbone was found near Tonsina Point, a few mountainous miles away, in 2014. Mountain rescue experts, firemen, state troopers, search dogs and LeMaitres family spent thousands of hours searching the area but without a single clue being found. We tell people that you run it at your own risk. The Mount Marathon Race doesnt look like much on paper: its short (just three miles long) and starts at sea level. LeMaitre: I was told it was overcast. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Download the app. Outdoors she ranked first at 3200m, running 9:49.83. Despite extensive searches, his body has never been recovered, and the details of his death remain a mystery. Zalokar, of Reno, Nevada, was reported missing late Sunday after not returning to Yosemite Valley from his solo trip as planned. Lingit Aani Kaa Kei Nas.ax Haa Yoo Xatangi, the Anchorage Daily News Curious Alaska column, https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/8-Michelle-Theriault-int.mp3. At 11 a.m., nearly 350 women gathered behind the start line. He was very adventurous. Even after the official search was called off in mid-July, volunteers continued to search the mountain, including LeMaire's daughter Mary Anne, saying "Seward has so much meaning to my dad,so here he is, looking out. In the women's race, rookie Allie McLaughlin from Colorado separated from the field early and held on to smash the women's. The race officials had already packed up by around 6 p.m., when my dad was still headed up. And now, if you do Mount Marathon, you have to attest publicly, you have to sign something like in a public room full of other racers that says that you have been up and down the whole course. The partial jawbone in question, she said, was found by hunters in the mountains above Tonsina Creek about 4 miles from the city. Numerous witnesses, including one medical doctor, would have testified at trial that Mr. LeMaitre requested no assistance, appeared to be in no distress, and wished to continue to the top of the mountain.. We dont claim that its safe, she says. Following Michaels disappearance, officials made changes to the race. He's on Mount Marathon somewhere.". We spoke separately to Karol Fink, a Mount Marathon organizer and 19-year race veteran who ran this year, and to MaryAnne LeMaitre, whose father has yet to be found. Disappearance on Mount Marathon On July 4, 2012, runners gathered in Seward, Alaska, for a three-mile trail race up the mountain that looms 3,000 feet over Resurrection Bay. And theres just never been a trace of him found. From the picture that I saw of him at halfway, he didnt have water in his hand. I hope with the foliage being goneit had been super thick when I was therethat we can start looking again. Since 1982, our main focus has been to promote health and fitness among women, especially women who would not otherwise exercise. The area is heavily used by hikers. Download the app. Michelle Theriault Boots:During that race, it was terrible weather. Her personal best times are 1:14:19 in the half marathon (2014); and 2:36:50 in the marathon (2020). Brandon Lawson The 911 call that led to a mysterious disappearance. The race starts in Molt, MT at the Community Center. I think there was a healthy debate about how is this race unsafe, and they added some pretty sound safety measures, it sounds like. The crowd cheered when Matt Novakovich won the 3.5-mile race in less than 45 minutes . I never went up the mountain on my own, except for the last trip. It is possible, she added, that the identity of the owner of the jawbone may never be known. Youve heard of Tough Mudder and the Spartan Race, but every Fourth of July, the town of Seward, Alaska, hosts a competition that rivals both. It does get a bit grim. The race, which is notorious for its extreme nature, covers approximately 3 miles of difficult terrain up and back down the Mount. According to Squires, Some operations continued until July 15. And now, if you do Mount Marathon, you have to attest publicly, you have to sign something like in a public room full of other racers that says that you have been up and down the whole course. It was rainy, it was foggy, and he just never came down the mountain. The volunteers, who had been on the mountain for 10 hours, had completed their duty and were descending when they encountered LeMaitre, who was in last place, just approaching the mountains summit. Thats when Anchorage resident Michael LeMaitre went missing while running the race, never to be seen again. 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Walsh asked LeMaitre for his bib number and he replied Five-four-eight, and as he descended back towards the town he texted race officials: Bib number 548 would be home in about an hour and a half. Zalokar also reportedly climbed every mountain over 14,000 feet in California and ran the New York City Marathon at age 55 in 2:43:10, winning his age group, official records show. And the race is so risky and dangerous the whole time. While running the Mount Marathon race in Alaska, Michael LeMaitre disappeared. Curious Alaska is a weekly feature powered by your questions. An old kayak missing from the yard at Miller's Landing, a resort at the end of the road, led to speculation she might have paddled off into Resurrection Bay, but she could just as easily headed down the trail to Tonsina Creek. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! In the 1980s, when Echard was director, the senior mens and womens field was capped at 200; this year, it was 375. Fink: You start in downtown Seward, 4th avenue, and the street is all lined with spectators. He never showed up. Perhaps he fell off a cliff or fell into a crevice never to be seen again? Did he ever reach the summit and turn around? The junior race, for runners ages 7 to 17, had already taken placethe kids went only halfway up the broad, triangular mountain that . Fink: After youve summited and rounded the rock, you drop into the snow, and you either sit on your feet or slide down on your butt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Theres a rule that if youre much slower than then most of the runners you have to make it halfway up in one hour, or youll be disqualified. The mystery of what happened to LeMaitre is the subject ofthe Anchorage Daily News Curious Alaska columnthis week. [13] That mark was the fastest girls' U18 time in the world in 2020. This incident remains under investigation, park officials said. It consumed the energy of the town. Karol Fink: Its a bit mysteriousthe feel of it. She was never found and remains among the missing in the area. He could have been buried under the snow. He said that hes thought a lot about whats happened. They found no proof or sign of life. Theres no substitute for actually walking the course, for checking out the chute area and seeing whats best for you, he says. That evening, when LeMaitre had not returned, his family reported him missing. [6], During her sophomore year in 20182019, she won the Tennessee Gatorade Female Track & Field Player of the Year award, earning her the opportunity as a part of Gatorade's "Play it Forward cause marketing platform," to award a $1,000 grant to her choice of a local or national youth sports organization, and duplicated the honors in 2020 and 2021. Though declared legally dead for about nine years, LeMaitre is still considered a missing person by Alaska State Troopers. Usually by the time of race day, the water hasnt dried up, so you have to know what youre doing because its very steep and you can fall off. By 9 p.m. a search was in full force. Race organisers take no responsibility for Michaels disappearance: Missing mom & baby- Gabriella Harkness Located, Bizarre Stories from the Alaska Triangle Successscan, Bizarre Stories from the Alaska Triangle Mid American News. But most accidents happen on the way down. Earlier that day, LeMaitre had started his first Mount Marathon Race, a grueling 5K that climbs to the 3022-foot Mount Marathon peak above Seward, Alaska, before plunging down a dangerous descent where runners choose their own route over rocky footing and past several cliffs. Heading out the door? montanawomensrun . Downhill is 12 mph. Missing from the field were Jessica Yeaton, the defending champion, and Rosie Frankowski, who was the first runner to the top last year en route to seventh place. A missing runner. What did they tell you nine years later about this? LeMaitre never came down. Heading out the door? On July 4, 2012, an Anchorage man named Michael LeMaitre went missing as he competed in Mount Marathon, the grueling Seward footrace typically held on the Fourth of July each year. His wife sued the race and the Seward Chamber of Commerce for $5 million, alleging negligence and emotional distress. Paul Michael LeMaitre, disappeared July 4, 2012, Mount Marathon, Seward, Alaska. It was about 8 p.m. local time on July 4 when Seward, Alaskas Fire Department received word that 66-year-old Michael LeMaitre of Anchorage, was missing. Once competitors have reached the summit, the faster ones can make it back down to the ground in under ten minutes. Fink: A few minutes down, theres Denali Falls; it has a 10-foot drop. Youre using hands and feet. It could predate modern record-keeping on the missing or belong to someone with no dental records on file to match. Crom, meanwhile, told the newspaper its unclear whether he summited Mount Clark prior to his death, but said park rangers would likely check a log book near the peak. All we need is just one little thing to go on. Whenever I asked for help, someone always said yes. By the end of the day, two were in the hospital with serious injuries and one had vanished. MOVING FORWARDThe community of Seward was hit hard. I think thats fascinating people. "We haven't been able to rule out anybody,'' Alaska State Trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen said Friday, but she admitted that distance and topography alone make it unlikely the jawbone is that of LeMaitre. Being declared dead by the court system doesnt remove someone from the state missing persons clearinghouse, said Austin McDaniel, a spokesman for the troopers. Fred would be the one to climb up on the technical part and throw a rope down to the rest of us, Sean Crom told the newspaper of Zalokar, whom he met while training for a 100-mile ultramarathon decades earlier. Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. THE STARTBibs have typically been limited to 350 men, 350 women, and 200 juniors, but this year the race was expanded to accommodate 400 in each of the mens and womens races. The Mount Marathon Race in Seward took place Wednesday, after a year off due to the pandemic, without reports of any major trouble. The body of Fred Zalokar, 61, was recovered Tuesday near the peak of Californias 11,527-foot Mount Clark, where he went on a hike Saturday using an off-trail route and did not return, National Park Service officials said in a statement. At that point, you have an entire mountain, and you have no limiting factor. Now its 40% of samples. The race changed as a result of the disappearance. Casey Grove: And you took these questions back to the authorities. Then you pop out back out and have to decide whether to take the junior trail, the cliffs, or the waterfall, which is 20 feet out, 70 feet down. LeMaitre: Any time that Ive experienced anything like thisfriends who have gotten into car accidents and died, losing my grandmother to illnessthere was closure for that. There are now sweepers that follow the Red Lantern, the last runner down the mountain, to ensure every person has gotten off the mountain. Published: Jun. The 65-year-old was competing as a rookie in the. What happened to LeMaitre? Grove: What do you think this story tells people about Alaska or about what happened to this guy? Searchers worried that if he wasnt already injured, he probably had hypothermia because of his light clothing, exhaustion and the freezing weather. Participants who dont make it a halfway-point within one hour are disqualified, and race sweepers now follow the last runner to the top of the mountain and back down, said race director Matias Saari. It rained the night before the 2012 race and the trail was slick and muddy. The chutes had snow bridges on them that have been collapsing all summer. Echard says this years race highlighted the need to shrink the field. He confirmed he was doing fine. [8], Before injury shortened her season, Jenna posted nation-leading times in the 1600 (4:44.13) and 3200 meters (9:52.33) and lowered her own Science High 800 meter record to 2:13.65. Zalokar is survived by his wife, Deb, and their son, Ian, according to the Reno Gazette Journal. Nine years on, what happened to LeMaitre is still a mystery. And potential participants should practice [the course]., Womens winner Holly Brooks, also of Anchorage, contends that the risk involved is simply a part of the race. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences. Michaels eyesight was failing but he thought he was capable enough to finish the race. Around 1 p.m., the sun shone through the trees and leaves crinkled under huge crowds of runners' feet. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. The following transcript was lightly edited for clarity. He says a smaller field could prevent the already precarious course from becoming overcrowded and compromising runners ability to choose the safest path down the mountain. The mountain swallowed this man, a relative told Runners World journalist Christopher Solomon for an extensive article about the case in 2016. While injuries are common and expected, LeMaitre's case was unprecedented. A team of up to 60 searchers scoured the mountain, looking everywhere, even the other side, away from the race course. In December, as a sophomore, Hutchins finished fifth in the Footlocker national cross country championship race. THE MOTIVATIONThe record time, set in 1981 by Bill Spencer, is 43:21. Correction: The photo caption on this story has been updated to correct the year Michael LeMaitre went missing to 2012. LeMaitres disappearance changed the way the race operates. You know, a lot of people kept saying, you need some sort of closure. The biggest factor was the record snowthe trail conditions were unlike anything they had seen beforeice underneath. But what happened in the 2012 Mount Marathon Race really stands out in Alaska lore. LeMaitre: I had a tough time thinking about when to leave. And then also, Michael LeMaitre had not been up and down the course ever before he raced. Youre going on this trail in the trees and the brush. There was still quite a bit of daylight left, and my dad asked if he could still continue up to finish the race. Apr 30, 2022. So that I think is discouraging of people who are going to be taking four or five, six hours much longer to complete the race. And that question has not been answered. Clock says LeMaitre was last spotted race day by on-course volunteers around 6 p.m.

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