The finish of the 22nd annual Haeckel Hill Run hosted by Athletics Yukon was as close as it could possibly be — a dead heat.
Matthias Pardon and Colin Abbott both crossed the line in 34 minutes and one second.
Both runners were looking to win the race right until the end, but the 6.2-kilometre course and 600 metres in elevation weren’t enough to separate them.
Ben Yu Schott, an Athletics Yukon board member and race organizer, said the race is one of the tougher dates on the running calendar given that racers have to run “basically straight up a hill.”
“So you’re running over a half a kilometre just straight up,” said Yu Schott. “But I always say to folks at the start of it, it’s a great way to rise and grind for a Saturday morning.”
Forty-two racers took part this year on a day that Yu Schott said was ideal.
“We had some sun to start and then it clouded over a little bit once we got everybody to the top of the mountain,” said Yu Schott. “The temperature was probably nine or 10 degrees at the time people finished, so good for short sleeves and shorts weather when you’re working up the hill at that temperature. Good running conditions for sure.”
The Haeckel Hill Run was started in 1996 by Michael Barton, an Energy Solutions Centre employee at the time, who had the idea to organize a run to the windmills at the summit.
Yukon Energy provides access to the road each year, allowing the run to take place.
The record for the fastest time in the race is 33 minutes and 24 seconds by Abbott in 2012.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
Results
1 Matthias Pardon — 34:01
1 Colin Abbott — 34:01
3 David Eikelboom — 35:23
4 Nansan Mullay — 37:50
5 Darby McIntyre — 38:22
6 Brian Horton — 38:52
7 Jrome McIntyre 42:49
8 Chris Cann — 42:59
9 Dwayne Hanscom — 43:47
10 Ehab Alhag Hussen — 44:37
11 Rick Brown — 45:15
12 Victoria Ryan — 45:30
13 Richard Thompson — 46:21
14 Laura Wells — 46:29
15 Ben Harper — 46:55
16 Sue Bogle — 46:57
17 Ben Yu Schott — 47:42
18 Troy Searson — 48:58
19 Keith Maguire — 49:00
20 Pat Brunet — 49:38
21 Johanna Smith — 49:58
22 Glenda Koh — 50:23
23 Hayley Henderson — 50:26
24 Amber Drift — 52:59
25 Chester Kelly — 53:10
26 Mike Ellis — 53:11
27 Tiffani Fraser — 54:01
28 Justine Scheck — 54:30
29 Hilary Seymour — 55:12
30 Tammy Viingsta — 55:13
31 Sarah Murray — 55:48
32 Selena Boothroyd — 59:37
33 Sheri Hogeboom — 59:45
34 Joanna Sharp — 1:00:02
35 Cheryl Maguire — 1:01:22
36 Robin Johnson — 1:02:57
37 Ardes Ng — 1:02:58
38 Cheryl Klippert — 1:03:09
39 Bonnie Love — 1:03:31
40 Richard Zier—Vogel — 1:03:32
41 Romeo Gayangos — 1:20:55
42 Naresh Prasad — 1:40:45