Local running legend marks 37th Fall Equinox finish

For 37 years, Whit Aillaud has run the Fall Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks. Throughout his time living in Delta Junction, area residents grew accustomed to seeing him running trails and roads, often far from his home site. Through it all, the former Delta/Greely School District math teacher has never been competing against anyone but himself as he ran the trails and roads of Delta Junction. Rain, shine, snow, subzero temperatures, dogs, and traffic have all been part of the journey.

Although the Aillauds retired to Washington state, Whit continues to make the annual trip back to Delta for the race.

“He has run 37, but two didn’t count,” explained his wife, Cindy Lou Aillaud. “One of those races came when Whit fell and fractured his arm and dislocated his shoulder. Undeterred, he returned just three weeks later and completed the race with his arm in a sling.”

The other technically unofficial run came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the official race was canceled. Whit simply ran it anyway.

“I walked the first Equinox with John Sloan and Gary Cooper,” Whit recalled. “Gary had previously run the race, but John and I were first-timers.” 

Since that first race, Whit has watched the course and the sport change considerably.

At one point, runners crossed Sheep Creek Road around the 7.5-mile mark and continued along the railroad tracks for about a half-mile.

“The ties were slippery, and the gravel in between was chunky and loose,” Whit said. “Thankfully that has since been rerouted.”

Another change Whit appreciates is the elimination of a section that once took runners through a residential area near the bottom of Esther Dome.

“I didn’t like running through people’s backyards,” he admitted.

The equipment runners use has seen a dramatic change.

“In 1989 there were some runners in fancy gear, but most wore wool sweaters and such,” Whit said. “Today, it’s all water-resistant, lightweight, tight-fitting clothing. You now carry high-energy, easily digestible snacks and your cell phone.”

At 72, Whit isn't sure how many more Equinox races remain in his future, but he has no immediate plans to stop. Runners have 10 hours to complete the course, and Whit intends to use every bit of that time if necessary.

“I intend to run until I can’t, then crawl across the line,” he said. “When crawling becomes too slow, I will join a relay team.”

Cindy Lou also participated in this year's Equinox, competing in the hiking category. The same 10-hour time limit applied, and she set herself a goal of reaching the finish line by 5:30 p.m. She made it at 5:23.

“And that included getting stopped by the morning train,” she said with a laugh.

Along the way, Cindy Lou witnessed another example of the determination that seems to define Equinox participants. A 74-year-old man took a tumble in front of her. Medics stopped to provide assistance, but apparently he wasn't ready to call it a day.

“He told them he had a race to finish,” Cindy Lou laughed.

For Whit, the Fall Equinox is about much more than a finish time or a place in the pack. It is about returning to a community, a course, and a tradition that has been part of his life for nearly four decades.

His advice to other runners is simple: “If you can do Donnelly Dome, you can do the Equinox. And anyone who finishes is a winner!”

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