Mike Allen Smashes Course Record in 5th Annual Uphill Challenge

The 5th annual Uphill Challenge was run in near perfect conditions at Mt. Hood Meadows Saturday, and it showed as nine category records were set including a new fastest time for the event. Mike Allen blazed uphill in a time of 9:32:16, more than a minute and 17 seconds faster than the course record set the inaugural year by Bernard Seeger. The fastest woman was Kayla Moore with  time of 11:42:05. 

A field of 42 took the challenge, ranging in age from 3 years old to 68. Those setting category records (and who will be added to the Uphill Challenge Leaderboard) were:

• Caleb Zilka 27:29:58 (Men 5 - 9) 
• Benjamin Balasz 10:31:37 (Men 10 - 14)
• Patrik Balasz 12:01:50 (Men 15 - 19)
• Jordan Fields 9:41:48 (Men 20 - 24)
• Mike Allen 9:32:16 (Men 30 - 34)
• Derik Farlow 12:11:03 (Men 40 - 44)
• Sid Perkins 15:43:22 (Men 55 - 59)
• Sage Borschel 16:08:14 (Women 5 - 9)
• Kailua Balasz 15:41:16 (Women 10 - 14)
• Kayla Moore 11:42:05 (Women 20 - 24)

Also added this year was a 5K trail run continuing from the top of the Uphill Challenge course on to the Timberline Trail, and finishing on the Umbrella Falls Trail. The competitors raved about the 5K course, particularly the downhill sections winding across Meadows and through forests. Jared Scholz set the record with a 5K time of 36:40 and Sarah Cunningham had the fastest woman’s time with 58:55.