When storms over the New Year prevented a Skagway teacher from traveling to run a marathon he created his own.
Skagway teacher Cody Burnham intended to start the New Year off with a visit to family in Texas and his first marathon. He trained for 16 weeks.
Unfortunately, rough weather conspired to cancel Burnham’s ferry and multiple flights, while an avalanche blocked the Klondike Highway. He was stuck.
Instead of abandoning the event, Burnham planned his own local marathon and invited the town to join him, on a course that crisscrossed the valley many times. Housemate and fellow teacher Amy McPherson walked the entire marathon, with a handful of Skagwegians joining in to either walk or run portions with Burnham.
Burnham’s running journey started when another teacher, Kortney Rupprecht, signed him up for last year’s Klondike Road Relay.
Burnham: “I realized I liked running outside and was kind of looking for something else to do. So, I did the Turkey Trot in town, and I won that. And so that was a boost. And then, yeah, I just wanted kind of another challenge, and I figured a marathon is kind of like, as big as it gets.”
Burnham’s marathon didn’t end the way he hoped. At mile 20, his ankle gave out, so he walked the remainder of the race. Rupprecht, who drove the support car stocked with Powerade and bananas, walked the final six miles with him.
Burnham said he thinks he’ll do it again next year but will make it a shorter race.
Burnham: “I think it’s going to be a thing that we invite people to come run with us on January 1 each year. Just to celebrate the New Year — seems like a good way to start a new year on a motivated note…”
Burnham ordered himself a medal from Etsy. Afterall, he did place first in Skagway’s inaugural Impromptu New Year’s Marathon.
