Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

On a recent August day, Haines resident Harry Subertas was running through Sierra Nevadas near Lake Tahoe through scenic dirt trails. Despite his arduous, sub-eight-minute mile pace, Subertas was enjoying himself, but he was leaving his competition in the Marlette 50K ultramarathon in the dust.

For the 32-year-old, competing in the ultramarathon was almost an afterthought.

"I signed up a couple days before," he said in a recent phone interview. "It's only 31 miles -- 31 miles is what I do on a casual run."

Nevermind that he set the course record for the 50-kilometer course, finishing in the thin mountain air at 10,000 feet above sea level over rough, hilly terrain in 3:53, nearly ten minutes ahead of his closest competitor in a field of more than 100 people. Subertas has had some astonishing success in recent years in ultramarathons -- considered anything longer than the 26-mile marathon distance -- across the world.

Earlier this year, he won the Susitna 100, a wintertime 100-mile race in Southcentral Alaska. Last year, he won ultramarathons in Colorado, Montana, and California, including two 200-mile races (which he finished in 56 hours and 63 hours). And he has high hopes to succeed in ever more competitive races, including the upcoming 100-mile Run Rabbit Run on Sept. 15 in Steamboat Springs, Colo. where Subertas is aiming for a breakout finish.

"If I could get in the top 10, that'd be great. I think I can," he said.

Subertas grew up in Lithuania where he had modest success at running, finishing in fourth place several times at junior track competitions in the 1500 meter distance. His mother lived in New Jersey, and he wandered over to the states about a decade ago. Seeking adventure, he eventually settled into Haines, where he got hooked on mountain running, climbing and skiing in the undeveloped mountains around the Lynn Canal.

As his skills developed, so did his interest in running. His ultra distance adventures got more and more extreme, sometimes bordered on the absurd.

For example, a few years ago, he decided to undertake Duff's Trail Challenge, an event sponsored by Duff's Backcountry Outfitters that challenges visitors to hike all of Skagway's 12 trails. But many of the trails were only accessible by the White Pass Railroad, and the COVID had forced the railroad to close. Subertas decided to undertake the challenge all on foot, running more than 70 miles with 17,000 feet of elevation gain to access trails near Denver and Laughton Glaciers.

"It took maybe 16 or 17 hours, I don't remember exactly. It was after work," he said.

On another occasion, he planned a 100-mile run that would include running parts of the Chilkoot Trail from Skagway multiple times. He went to the National Park Service permit office to explain his plan.

"When I approached for the permit, they said, 'No you can't do that.' I said 'What do you mean?' I do crazy things like that," he said.

He's attempted runs from Skagway to Haines and a ski trip from Skagway to Juneau.

He guided at Alaska Mountain Guides for years. A few years ago bought a property with an eight by ten-foot cabin and yurt at Mile 25. He now considers Haines home, but has a mixed assessment about its amenities.

"It's not a great place for runners, we definitely need some better trails," he said. Still, he raved about the unexplored and undeveloped tundra zones near Flower Mountain and elsewhere. "Running on the alpine, running between glaciers -- I love it out there," he said.

This year, he spent most of this summer in Lake Tahoe working and living out of his truck for a change of pace from his usual guiding gigs, and to focus on running.

"I'm a dirtbag, I'm proud to say that. I'm a dirtbag that has a home but doesn't live at home," he said.

He said in the last few years he's become "greedy" and doing more ultras. While he loves skiing and rock climbing, he said he's attracted by the simplicity of ultra running. All he needs, he said, is a pair of shoes, fitness, and a good mindset.

"Your whole task is to put one foot in front of the other and see how far you can make it," he said.

Despite his successes, Subertas said he doesn't consider himself a professional runner. Friends say his humility and enthusiasm for the outdoors are keys to his success.

"From the outside he has a really gentle approach to everything, it never seems to phase him," said Liz Landes, who met him a few years ago and now co-owns a property with him. She said Subertas has become a mentor for her for outdoor travel, assessing avalanche danger and route-finding on backcountry ski trips. While she said her own abilities don't match Subertas', she doesn't feel intimidated by him, thanks to his approachable and easy-going nature.

"I have no issue asking him to go on a three-mile jog with me, even if he's going to go another 15 miles," she said. "His excitement is genuine."

Unlike some ultra runners, Subertas doesn't follow a strict training regimen or diet. He doesn't track his pacing or heart rate either. Instead, he relies on feelings, and estimates he puts about 20 hours of training in per week, though some days he hits that much in just a day while balancing other seasonal jobs.

He said after his upcoming 100-miler in Colorado, he'll head to Salt Lake City for a job in December, hoping to skip out on the "gloomy" months of Haines before ski season in the spring. Next, year, he's already signed up for three races of at least 200 miles in the Lower 48, including the Moab 240. If he makes enough money, he'll sign up for a fourth.

Subertas said he's not sure yet what to expect in terms of results, but his friends are confident he'll turn some heads.

"The more I learn about his day to day existence and how hard he's working, I think he'll just keep expanding his limitations," said Landes. "There's no limit to what he's capable of."