One hundred and seventy Fort St. John athletes rose to the challenge and competed in the grueling Emperor’s Challenge in Tumbler Ridge on Saturday.

Charlie Lake’s Nikki Haugen was the first overall female with a time of one hour 48 minutes and 31 seconds for the 20-kilometre uphill run.

Jaime Lazar of Vanderhoof took second for the females with 1:52.36 and Cecil Lake’s Wendy Giesbrecht was third for the females at 2:00:32.

A record breaking 687 participants – 617 adults and 70 kids – competed in the half marathon, which made for a very crowded starting line.

“You’re just packed in there....I love that fact that it’s northern community that you get so many locals and it’s a social atmosphere at the beginning,” said Giesbrecht.

The race starts out with an uphill climbs, then a few kilometres on top of the mountain before heading downhill towards the finish line.

“I’m used to either flat running and then climbing straight up a mountainside, this one was just gradual, you had to run gradual for 11 kilometres up to the top. I just wanted to get to the top, then once I hit the top, I was smiling the whole way down. Much nicer going down than up,” said Haugen, who raced competitively in the Emperor’s Challenge for the first time this year.

Though Haugen wasn’t phased by the rough terrain of Babcock Mountain, many other competitors hadn’t seen experienced running over large, cracked rocks and other obstacles.

“It’s that middle section at the very top that you’ve just really spent your body, spent your energy and I had two men actually trip and roll in front of me. Insecure footing and it’s really spongy in the tundra, the actual trail is not packed down so you’re just kind of jumping around,” said Giesbrecht.

There have been rumours swirling that this was the final year for the Emperor's Challenge, but that's been the way it has been for the past 10 years.

"That rumour has been there every year," said Charles Helm, one of the organizers who has been involved in the event since it started 12 years ago.

The run followed a route up Roman Mountain for the first 10 years and in 2009 switched to its present course on Babcock Mountain to avoid some of the bottlenecks on Roman.

Some people have been told that Saturday's half-marathon race would probably be the final event as coal exploration would soon take over the mountain.

But Helm quashed that rumour and pointed out that he hears that every year and every year the Emperor's Challenge is held and attracts runners and walkers from throughout northern B.C. and Alberta and as far away as Europe.

"We have had that rumour every year for the last 10 years and every year we managed to pull it off. It is a constant thing working with the mining companies, but we are acting as if we are in business for next year," explained Helm.

Kris Swanson of Victoria won first place in the men’s category with a time 1:22:45, with Dawson Creek’s Sean Hawryluk in second at 1:34:36 and Brian Nemethy of Vanderhoof in third with 1:39:30.

Julia Biegel of Grovedale, Alta. won the seven and under girls two-kilometre race with a time of 12:54, Jenessa Biegel was second with 14:14 and Amelia Benke of Chetwynd was third at 14:33. Cecil Lake's Maria Giesbrecht won first place in the eight to 11 girls two-kilometre race with a time of 11:21, Freya Falcon of Tumbler Ridge was second at 12:34 and Fort St. John's Taylor Shenton third at 13:31. Cecil Lake's Grace Giesbrecht won the 14 and under girls four-kilometre run with a time of 24:27, Tumbler Ridge Kelly Fry of was second at 26:57 and Amberlin Biegel of Grovedale, Alta. was third at 29:47.

Tumbler Ridge's Owen Taylor won the seven and under boys two-kilometre race with a time of 13:20, Dylan Ethier of Chetwynd was second at 14:20 and Fort St. John’s Ryan Potogieter was third at 14:33. Cabhan O’Keefe of Dawson Creek won first in the eight to 11 boys two kilometre at 10:44 with Vanderhoof’s Elijah Lazar in second at 11:01 and Dawson Creek’s Jack Lekei in third at 11:31. Vanderhoof’s Alexander Nemethy was first in the 14 and under boys four kilometre at 17:36, Brennan Gow of Grande Prairie was second at 20:27 and Charlie Lake’s Eric Woodruff was third at 23:56.

Check out www.emperorschallenge.com for full race results.

With files from Rick Davison