FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Matt Dunlap, a native of Farmington now living in Alaska, won the challenging Equinox Marathon on Sept. 17.

The 26.2-mile course included a 2,300-foot elevation gain from the starting line at the University of Alaska campus to the top of Ester Dome Mountain, and back.

Dunlap covered the distance in 2 hours, 51 minutes and 22 seconds, which was 4:34 faster than second-place finisher Stian Stensland of Norway.

Race day temperatures were in the 40’s under clear skies, and fall foliage colors were at their height as 500 competitors took to the course.

The 2011 Equinox run was Dunlap’s third marathon. He had previously run in the Portland Marathon in Maine and the Boston Marathon, placing 155th in the latter in 2009.

Dunlap is a graduate of Mt. Blue High School, where he was an All-American in cross-country running and Nordic skiing, and of Bates College, where he captained the cross-country running team and Nordic ski team and twice qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship competition in cross country.

He is in his third year as Assistant Coach for Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Nordic Ski teams at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.