Two time back of the packer, did more power walking than running. First time was in 1986 at the age of 37. I had a goal of finishing in under 2 hours and from the halfway point onwards, I kept an eye on my watch, trying to constantly calculate if I would make it or not. Things got a little dicey near the summit and I was afraid of just missing my goal. I tried to do some running over the last mile and ended up crossing the finish line in 1:59:55......whew! Fast forward 19 years and at the age of 56 I tried it again in 2005. Despite the added years, I ended up breaking my 19 year old time by almost a minute and a half, finishing in 1:58:28. I didn't do any specific training either time, but just treated it as a speed hike. The most comical part that I can remember about the 2005 event was power walking and staying exactly on the same pace, side by side, with a guy who was running. It looked like he was working a lot harder than I was, and I kept thinking, "Hey buddy, save yourself the effort!"
FWIW, I did the bicycle hill climb in 1978, finishing in 1:38:50 and I consider that harder than running (power walking) up the road.
