Bird Ridge Race
Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb & Jack’s Run
Photo: Todd List Photography
Bird Ridge is an iconic and challenging uphill mountain race organized by Alaska Mountain Runners. The race takes place annually on Father’s Day. An event in the Alaska Mountain Runners Grand Prix, Bird Ridge is a favorite in Southcentral Alaska and draws racers from around the state and country. As the primary fundraiser for Alaska Mountain Runners, all proceeds support the Alaska mountain running community.
2024 Race Details
Race Day: Sunday, June 16
Registration
Registration opens May 1; a link will be posted here. Registration will remain open until filled. There is no wait list once the race reaches capacity. Race participation is limited to 250.
Race Details
Registrants will receive a pre-race email with event details. The first wave starts at 10:00 a.m., the second wave at 10:05 a.m., and the junior race at 10:15 a.m.. There is a 2-hour cutoff for the full course.
Location and Parking
- The race starts at the Bird Ridge Trailhead, but participants must park in the Bird Creek Trail Access lot, which is a quarter mile south of the Bird Ridge Trailhead. Click here for directions to the Bird Creek Trail Access Lot.
- All individuals/participants are responsible for paying the day use vehicle parking fee of $5 required at all Chugach State Park facilities. These fees are payable onsite or with an annual parking pass.
- Please carpool if possible.
- Park in the large Bird Creek Trail Access Lot on the north side of the Seward Highway.
- Southbound: The large trailhead parking area on the left after you pass the first Bird Ridge trailhead lot.
- Northbound: The first trailhead on the right after you cross Bird Creek.
- No parking on the Seward Highway.
Safety and Equipment
The primary hazards on Bird Ridge are wildlife, inclement weather, and the potential for injury on the technical trail. The race finishes at the top of the mountain, so many racers will carry extra layers for the descent, especially if there is foul weather in the forecast.
There is no aid on course, so bring any food and water you may need for the climb AND descent. There will be food in the start area after the race.
Carrying bear spray is encouraged, but not mandatory. There will be volunteers with bear spray along the course.
Results
For year-by-year results, visit our race results archive. For a list of winners and top historic times, click HERE
Race Contact
Race Director Lyon Kopsack can be reached at birdridgerace@gmail.com.
Race Route
The race starts and ends in the Bird Ridge Trailhead. Do not park at this trailhead. Park in the Bird Creek Trail Access lot (see parking details above).
Full Course
The course measures 2.5 Miles with 3,400 feet of climbing. The race starts at the Bird Ridge Trailhead, crosses the boardwalk, and then turns left at the bathrooms before gaining the ridge. Once on the ridge, racers travel 2 miles up a prominent ridgeline above Turnagain Arm. Racers will descend at their own pace along the race trail. The trail is a mix of rocky scrambling, rolling dirt trail, and steep hiking. First-time racers must preview the trail before race day.
Junior Race – Jack’s Run
Jack’s Run is open to racers 7-17 years old. The junior race starts at the Bird Ridge Trailhead and follows the same course as the adult race but finishes halfway up the ridge. Experienced youth ages 14-17 may opt to race the full course instead of Jack’s Run.
Bird Ridge History
Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb
The Bird Ridge Hill Climb has a long history dating back to the early 1970s. At that time, the race started at Diamond Jim’s Bar, ran along the Seward Highway to the trailhead, went directly up the mountain face from the parking area and followed the ridge to the 2000-foot level. At age 17, Bill Spencer set the record for this race in 29 minutes, 59 seconds in 1973. The race was not held for several years and that particular trail fell into disuse. Renewed interest in mountain running led race director Tim Neale to bring the race back in 1989 as the “Mystery Solstice Mountain Run.” The following year, he received authorization from Chugach State Park to legitimately host the race as the “Solstice Mountain Run.” Neale was also responsible for initiating the Crow Pass Crossing.
In 1996 the race was renamed in memory of Robert Spurr after his death in a mountaineering accident in Colorado. Spurr was a UAA professor and the first person to run a time under his age at Bird Ridge. His last race in 1995 was a 10th place finish in 47:45, days shy of his 58th birthday. Also in 1996, a newly constructed parking lot lengthened the course slightly but saw three runners go under Bill Spencer’s 1993 record of 41:52 – including Todd Boonstra in 39:20.
Robert Spurr at Pike’s Peak Ascent. Photo courtesy of Lyon Kopsack.
In 2000, Brad Precosky became the race director and the race was moved to the weekend as it had outgrown its casual Wednesday evening start. Tobias Schwoerer lowered the record that year to 38:25. Elite Nordic skiers now dominate the list of top times with David Norris holding the record of 35:40 set in 2021. The women’s record of 42:27 still belongs to Nancy Pease. She set the standard in 1993 — it remains among Alaska’s oldest running records — and no other woman has come within 1:20 of it since.
The junior race was established in 2006. Keegan Crow (22:52 in 2011) and Nowelle Spencer (24:32 in 2019) hold the records.
Jack’s Run
The junior event is named in memory of Patrick “Jack” Cooper. Jack, 16, was tragically killed by a black bear after finishing the junior race at Bird Ridge in 2017. Jack spent the first two months of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Anchorage’s Providence Hospital. He developed into a well-rounded teenager who enjoyed visiting beaches, taking hot tubs and trampolining. He also loved fishing, running races, hockey, and board games like chess and Monopoly.
Jack Cooper. Photo courtesy of Katrina and Rose Garner.
Jack’s obituary reads: “Jack was a gift. He was a special ed student whose challenges were far exceeded by his joy and excitement for life. We are all better people for the honor of having him in our lives. He will be dearly missed.”
A memorial bench for Jack now rests halfway up Bird Ridge near the junior race finish line. It reads “Rest here, be inspired, be grateful, be awesome” and “Be adventurous, keep on running. If you look for peace, you will find it.”
Photo by Clint McCool.
Photo by Carina Howe