If my dad had fallen in one of those chutes and a snow bridge had collapsed over him, the infrared helicopters wouldnt have been able to find him., Michael was declared dead in August 2012 after a presumptive death hearing. LeMaitre. By the end of the. LeMaitre was declared legally dead in October 2012 after a court proceeding known as a presumed death trial. Park officials did not indicate how he died, but a friend told the. The mystery of what happened to LeMaitre is the subject ofthe Anchorage Daily News Curious Alaska columnthis week. From the picture that I saw of him at halfway, he didnt have water in his hand. [14] Hutchins was selected as Athlete of the Week by USA Track & Field as a result. Details. But I think theres a lot of people who still very much want to know what happened to Michael LeMaitre. Casey Grove:And you took these questions back to the authorities. Queen Bee Montana Marathon - new name - Same Fast Courses! And finally, I decided that I needed to go on the mountain by myself, because thats how he did the race. No trace. 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. Mount Marathon runner Penny Assman takes a brutal on-course fall, breaking her ribs. We walked the streams. Missing From Alaska's Mount Marathon - Trail Runner Magazine Its dangerous, so youre not only competing against other people on the mountain, but youre competing to get across the finish line healthy and safe. More about series. He was never seen again and his body was never located despite extensive searching. It consumed the energy of the town. We've received your submission. I never went up the mountain on my own, except for the last trip. But probably the best known missing person case in wild Alaska involves 66-year-old Michael LeMaitre of Anchorage who went up Mount Marathon on July 4, 2012 and never came down. Im surprised that for such a technical race they didnt already have anyone sweeping at the end, but maybe this isnt as common for trail races as I believed them to be. 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. Thats when Anchorage resident Michael LeMaitre went missing while running the race, never to be seen again. A cadaver dog was sent into the area and friends paid for and analyzed high-resolution photographs of the mountain. And theres just never been a trace of him found. Back to Top . South Africa at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics All rights reserved. That means one of every 161 people goes missing in the . The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. The following transcript was lightly edited for clarity. An Alaska Air National Guard Pave Hawk helicopter participates in the search Thursday, July 5, 2012, for Michael LeMaitre on Mount Marathon. I wanted to do something at the top of the mountain, so I brought a Dremel tool and left a message: I love you dad. I engraved that on a rock. [7], Hutchins ran the 3,000 meters twice when she was 11, winning in 1112-year-old girls in 12:24.5 at the Speedster Cross Country Classic, and finishing second in the 3K at the South Texas Junior Olympic Championships in 12:13.0. [5][6] In 2019 she earned All-American status for a second straight year at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.,[5][10]. A quest to create a multi-stage tour designed specifically for runners. Race organisers take no responsibility for Michaels disappearance: Race volunteers spoke with Mr. LeMaitre as he was approaching the turnaround point and let him know the race was over, the statement said. AFTER THE RACEOn July 5th, MaryAnne LeMaitre boarded a plane in Salt Lake City and went to Seward to look for her dad. Weve never had anything this severe. 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. I think that vastness and the proximity of that vastness to town and to thousands of people and spectators, that you could be gone without a trace while there are hundreds of runners and thousands of spectators, like a mile less than a mile away from you, is just a reminder for Alaskans of that very thin line we live in between our little patches of town and kind of infinite wilderness and the dangers of that. Still, Echard echoes the advice that newcomers can cut their risk dramatically if they simply check out the coursein personahead of time. The race is short, only three miles long. While injuries arent uncommon at Mount Marathon, three unusually serious accidents marred this years event. 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. She says, If youre not very capable and/or very familiar with the route, the cliff area and the scree can be dangerous.. At around 5.45 pm on the day of the race, Tom Walsh, a race steward, saw Michael ascending to the turnaround point with about 200 feet to go. LeMaitre was running Mount Marathon for the first time. There was still quite a bit of daylight left, and my dad asked if he could still continue up to finish the race. All rights reserved. And even though the race was short and the trail packed with people, there was a disappearance. Alyse Bondi, Jenna's close friend from Cornell, said Jenna loves to run. So hes been legally dead for almost nine years now. Footlocker national cross country championship race, Jenna Hutchins Talks One Last Race, XC And The Maze Runner, SCIENCE HILL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE TENNESSEE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR, Science Hill distance star Jenna Hutchins NET female athlete of the year, Science Hills Hutchins leaves larger-than-life mark on area running, 20192020 TENNESSEE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE YEAR, A run of success: victories, records and awards piling up for Hutchins, Jenna Hutchins Emerges As The Fastest HS 5000 Runner Ever, Jenna Hutchins Adds to Her Record Collection, Breaking the U20 5K Record, Hutchins, Moore earn USATF Athlete of the Week honors, Video Jenna Hutchins BREAKS the Girl's Highschool and U20 5k record + Interview 15:34.47, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jenna_Hutchins&oldid=1091711455, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 June 2022, at 22:16. The Troopers announced that they identified the remains of Ronald Oquilluk using DNA from his sister. Following Michaels disappearance, officials made changes to the race. It was about 8 p.m. local time on July 4 when Seward, Alaska's Fire Department received word that 66-year-old Michael LeMaitre of Anchorage, was missing. 2023 Anchorage Daily News. 12 Sep. 2015. Her husband of 43 years, Michael LeMaitre, was last seen on July 4, about 200 feet from the top of Mount Marathon in Seward, south of Anchorage. Grove: What do you think this story tells people about Alaska or about what happened to this guy? But his disappearance prompted lasting safety changes to the way the race is run. Fink: Distance in this race isnt as critical as vertical. Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. montanawomensrun . Jenna Mulhern Drops 12th Fastest 5K In High School History. 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. Ravens. The 93rd Mount Marathon race will be held Wednesday in Seward after a year off because of the pandemic. This was an extreme event and he was last seen on July 4, 2012 about 200 feet from the top of Mount Marathon, a 3022 feet high peak. Michael LeMaitre could have taken just a few wrong turns, and then very quickly was in the thousands and thousands of impenetrable, mountainous wilderness in the Kenai mountains. Our condolences to his family and friends.. No clothing has been spotted and no human remains have been discovered . Fort Valley State University student Missing Where is Anitra Gunn? Brandon Lawson The 911 call that led to a mysterious disappearance. It's been a tough past year navigating the pandemic, and. The 73-year-old man, whose name was not released by police, fell 361 feet during a hike on Jenner Mountain at the northern end of Konigsee Lake in Bavaria, Germany, at around 2:30 p.m. on July 3.. Missing on Mount Marathon - Michael LeMaitre - True Crime Society 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.. The Last Man Up - Runner Disappears During Race : r - Reddit [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. Mount Marathon: One Of The U.S.'s Most Challenging 5Ks - Women's Running When you get to the top, theres a grassy area with a big rock in the middle that you go around. The men's and women's courses are a grueling 1.5-mile climb up, and back down, Alaska's majestic and treacherous Mount Marathon. Correction: The photo caption on this story has been updated to correct the year Michael LeMaitre went missing to 2012. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. A big mistake with the benefit of hindsight. Entrants are almost all Alaskans. [12] She was ranked third indoors in the U.S. at 1600m, running 4:48.10, fifth in the mile at 4:45.12, and 5th at 1500m at 4:26.77. Heading out the door? Michael was said to be adventurous and believed he had won the lottery by getting entry into the Mount Marathon race. 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. I think there was a healthy debate about how is this race unsafe, and they added some pretty sound safety measures, it sounds like. 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. CBS News Bay Area: Free 24/7 News CBS Bay Area App But he hadnt been on the mountain before.. Rangers at Yosemite National Park are asking for the public's help in the search for a marathon runner who went missing on a hike over the weekend. The junior race, for runners ages 7 to 17, had already taken placethe kids went only halfway up the broad, triangular mountain that . [4], Hutchins was named the 20192020 Tennessee Girls Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year, winning the Footlocker South Regional Cross Country Championships in 16:54,[5] She was ranked 9th in the nation at the mile, with a time of 4:43.33, and fifth at two miles, in 10:25.01. Trailing behind the other runners, LeMaitre was last seen near the summit by a race official. THE MOTIVATIONThe record time, set in 1981 by Bill Spencer, is 43:21. Its a course that poses a danger for race rookies like LeMaitre, according to Cindy Clock, Executive Director of the Seward Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the race. If you would be willing to assist in the search for Michael LeMaitre, please contact the Seward Volunteer Fire Department via their webpage. [5] In 2021, Hutchins committed to attending Brigham Young University,[6] and was scheduled to start classes in January 2022. 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. Jenna Mulhern - Stats - PennTrackXC.com The top finishers are under 45 minutes. Then participants go downhill over snowfields and rock fields,waterfalls and crags until they reach the finish line, back on the streets of Seward. The next morning, July 5, the 210th Rescue Squadron of the Alaska Air National Guard, which specializes in searching for crashed pilots and missing hikers, arrived with its HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter for another infrared scan. Relatives of Zalokar declined to comment Thursday, the Times reported. Download the app. The Mount Marathon Race in Seward took place Wednesday, after a year off due to the pandemic, without reports of any major trouble. We looked at eagle activity, bear activity.