Allie Ostrander, Levi Thomet Make Historic Run At World Jr. Mountain Running Championships

Allie Ostrander wins the World Junior Mountain Running Championships in Snowdonia, North Wales this weekend. She is the second American to win the title and the second Alaskan in history to do so. (Photo courtesy of Richard Bolt, US Mountain Running Team).

Boise State freshman Allie Ostrander became the second American junior in history to win the World Junior Mountain Running Championships this past weekend in Snowdonia, North Wales. She is the first Alaskan to win the championship, as fellow Last Frontier native Levi Thomet led the Junior Men's team to a historic silver team medal with a silver individual medal.

Ostrander ran 19:44 to win the 2.9 mile race, which traverses an 820 foot elevation gain.

The 2015 graduate of Kenai Central HS is an experienced mountain runner, recording six victories in Alaska's infamous Mount Marathon Junior race.

"It wasn't exactly what I expected," she said after the race. "When they said mountain, I thought it would be a lot more like power hiking, really steep. But it really was like mountain running and it was a different dynamic than other mountain races I've done."

Video courtesy of Bethanie Murray.

According to the Peninsula Clarion, "power hiking" is a technique commonly used at Mount Marathon and other endurance events, whereby "a racer bends over and powers both hands into the thighs while taking slow, loping, powerful steps up a steep hill."

"I was actually sore for this race because I was having so much fun running in the mountains," Ostrander said. You just run up the side of the mountain and through herds of sheep!"

Ostrander was supported by Lily Tomasula Martin (31st, 22:50) of Estes Park, Co. and Katie Bowe (38th, 24:59) of Trinity Episcopal, Va.

Levi Thomet (far right) is the first American male to make the podium at the World Junior Mountain Running Championships with his second place finish. (Photo courtesy of Richard Bolt, US Mountain Running Team).

Thomet is the first American male to make the podium at the championship. He ran 35:50 over the 5.5-mile course for runner-up honors. Ferhat Bozkurt of Turkey won the Junior Men's title in 33:56.

Fellow Americans Ben Butler of Sky View, Co. placed ninth in 36:49, Tayte Pollmann of Brighton, Utah placed 18th in 37:46 and Connor Wilson of Fort Worth Nolan Catholic, Texas placed 46th in 41:52 to contribute to Team USA's silver medal.

Full Junior Men's Results here.

Full Junior Women's Results here.

Worlds was quite the experience! Happy to come home with the silver both team and indivitual. #usmrt #wales #worlds #USA #swiggityswooty #hilliness
A photo posted by Levi Thomet (@leviticus_t) on


A Welsh weekend to remember #uswmrt
A photo posted by Allie Ostrander (@allie_ostrander) on