McCarthy Classic Relay
McCarthy Relay participants line up. Photo by Hannah Rowland
March 23., 2023
Hannah Rowland - KMRA
On Thursday, March 16, the Kennecott McCarthy Recreation Alliance hosted the third McCarthy Classic Relay Race. The course was approximately 3.5 kilometers. The route began near the ball field in McCarthy and went through neighborhood roads to get to McCarthy Creek, then the course was on the creek and went under the bridge, then went back on the main road through McCarthy to the ball field.
Before the main race began, there was a short kids’ ski race from one end of the ball field around the corner and to the end of the ball field along the road. Three kids participated in the race: Ari and Finnley Steyaert, and Leah Rowland. Ari came in first, Leah in second, and Finley in third. It is great to see the next generation enthusiastic to ski together and we hope to get more to participate in the future.
Four teams raced in the relay. Team 1 was the Rowland brothers: Roger and Keith. Team 2 was Rob Koenig and Hannah Rowland. Team 3 was Elizabeth Schafer and Howard Mozen. And Team 5 was Jared and Tanya Stayeart and their 2 boys. Ari skied with Jared and Tanya pulled Finnley on the course.
Rob was the first to tag off to Hannah with a time of 22:15. Next, Elizabeth tagged Howard at a time of 30:47. Roger tagged Keith at a time of 32:32, and Jared and Ari finished their lap at a time of 32:32. Hannah, a former skier for UAF, came in for the finish first with a total time of 39:13, a lap time of 17:28.
Howard came in for the finish second at 52:22, a lap time of 21:35. Keith Came in at 58:28, a lap time of 25:56, and Tanya finished her lap in about 47 minutes, pulling a 3-year-old for most of the course, very impressive!
Warm water and delicious cookies were provided for participants to enjoy to fuel their aerobic activity.
Thank you to all who participated and helped to make the course. A total of $260 was raised for the local children’s playground building effort put on by the KMRA.
We hope to do another ski race next winter.