Musher Thale Randall, 14-year old Wren Spangler win Junior Mount Marathon Races

SEWARD, Alaska (KTUU) - Running a solo dog team, youth musher and mountain runner Thale Randall was the first down 4th Ave. in downtown Seward to win his first Junior Mount Marathon race.

“It’s definitely pretty cool. I’ve been working towards it for a few years now, so I’m really glad I was finally able to put my runs together and have a good race on the mountain,” Randall said.

Heading halfway up Mount Marathon and back, Randall reached the finish in 27 minutes and 28 seconds, 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

Growing up in a mushing family in Willow, dubbed ‘The Mushing Capital of the World’, Randall was born on a dog sled but found himself in the mountains.

“The goal is always to go do your best that you can and at the end of the day, I enjoy going up in the mountains. And if I placed 100th, but I’m going out and doing my best, like, that’s a win, but to be able to actually get first place in the race is pretty cool.”

Randall, conquering Junior Mount Marathon before taking on the Jr. Iditarod this winter.

“I like to run next to the dogsled and that kind of stuff a lot,” he said. “I actually kind of started running to help myself out in mushing and then, yeah, I’m able to also channel it into running and helps that out too.”

Meanwhile Wren Spangler has been climbing up the mountain and the podium in recent years and this year, finally sits atop after she was the first girl to finish at 31:09.

“I was so surprised and really happy because.. I beat Calista Zuber, she was so fast.”

Spanger, just 14 years old, placed 3rd in 2023, 2nd in 2024 and 3rd again in 2025 before claiming 1st this year.

“I think next year I’ll have more confidence, but it’s like, not a given that you’re going to win any year because fast girls just keep coming in the lottery and stuff.”

Standing at 4-feet-9 inches tall, Wrangler uses her size to her advantage.

“I mean, I don’t have as long as strides, but I think it doesn’t really stop me because I have really good balance and stuff,” she said.

Calist Zuber, last year’s champion, placed second (33:10) while Juniper Ingalls took third overall in the girl’s race (33:16).

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