Outdoor Explorer

Mount Marathon | Outdoor Explorer

By Amy Bushatz,

Published April 24, 2025 at 3:24 PM AKDT

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The Mount Marathon finish line in Seward, Alaska, on July 4, 2024. (Amy Bushatz)

Seward’s hometown Mount Marathon Race holds legendary status among professional and novice runners alike as the world’s toughest 5K. Each year, more than 1,000 runners enter a lottery for a chance to sprint through town and climb more than 3,000 vertical feet before descending the grueling course.

So, what makes this annual Fourth of July event so special? Join co-hosts Amy Bushatz and Adam Verrier as Adam shares what it’s like to be a Mount Marathon Race announcer. They also check in with race official Matias Saari and Mount Marathon enthusiasts Denali Foldager Strabel and Steve Mayer to learn more about this uniquely Alaskan outdoor experience.

Hosts:
Adam Verrier
Amy Bushatz

Guests:
Matias Saari
Steve Mayer
Denali Foldager Strabel

Denali Foldager Strabel runs towards the finish at Mount Marathon. (Courtesy of Denali Foldager Strabel)

Outdoor Explorer

Amy Bushatz

Amy Bushatz is an experienced journalist based in Palmer, Alaska. Originally from Santa Cruz, California, she and her family moved to Palmer sight-unseen from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to pursue a consistent, outdoor-focused lifestyle after her husband left active duty Army service.

See stories by Amy Bushatz

Adam Verrier

Adam Verrier grew up in New Hampshire and has lived in Norway, Sweden, and Michigan, but moved to Alaska immediately after graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1992 and has lived here ever since. Adam enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities and was a member of the 1994 Olympic Team in cross-country skiing. After getting out of elite-level ski racing, he found a job appraising rural and remote real estate, primarily in the Aleutian Islands, Bristol Bay, Pribilof Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island and Cordova – all places that require travel by air or sea. His work allows Adam to explore remote areas of the state and to meet the interesting people who live in those places. When not traveling around Alaska for work, he is a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Alaska-Anchorage Ski Team, and also does ski race announcing / commentating for major events in Alaska and around the country. A committed bicycle commuter, Adam enjoys going on bicycle and motorcycle adventures every chance he gets.

See stories by Adam Verrier