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FAIRBANKS — Harald Aas went from debuting as an impressive Equinox Marathon rookie last year to being a dominating overall winner of this year’s 46th edition of the 26.2-mile race.

The former Alaska Nanooks endurance athlete finished Saturday morning in 2 hours, 50 minutes, 12 seconds on the out-and-back course from the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Patty Center to the top of Ester Dome.

“It’s been my goal the whole season to win this race,” Aas said while relaxing in front of the Patty Center after the race. “I tried to run a little bit faster than last year and I figured if I’m in a little bit better shape, I’d probably have a fair chance.”

Matias Saari, last year’s winner, was runner-up Saturday in 2:56:22.5 and Mike Kramer, a four-time winner, came in third in 3:00:28.1 his first 26.2-miler since the Boston Marathon last spring.

“Kudos to Harald. He ran a great race,” said Saari, a 38-year-old Daily News-Miner sports writer. “He was obviously the strongest guy today. I know how it feels getting second, so I’m happy for him, too.”

The nine-time entrant was runner-up in 2005 and 2006 before winning last year in 2:50:23.8, which before Saturday, was the 16th-fastest time in the race’s history.

Mark Lindberg posted a time of 3:02:37.2 on Saturday to repeat in fourth place and Kevin Brinegar, a five-time Equinox titlist, took fifth place in 3:03:38.1.

Last year’s debut provided Aas, a 27-year-old native of Eidsvoll, Norway, a lesson that he carried to the starting line Saturday amid cool and cloudy 49-degree weather.

“I knew the course a little bit better,” the UAF graduate student said of a difference between last year’s experience and this year’s victory.

He also knew how to pace himself better after pushing himself a little too hard early in last year’s race and seeing Saari sprint ahead of him for good while going down the chute, a stretch of alder trees near the 17 1/2-mile point of the race. Participants traverse the chute after coming off of Ester Dome.

Saari, Kramer and Lindberg ran in the lead at a 14:40 clocking when they reached the 2 1/4-mile mark at the intersection of Yankovich Road and Ballaine Road. Aas and Brinegar followed the pack eight seconds later.

“I just run as fast as I feel I can run to be able to finish the marathon,” Aas said.

He ran fast enough Saturday to post the Equinox’s 16th-fastest time ever.

“Harald had a really good race from (Miles) 13 to 17, and I don’t think he was going to let Matias beat him on the downhill again,” Lindberg said. “He was my pick before the race. He was laying low and I saw that he had that good Ester Dome (Time Trial with the Nanooks) about two weeks ago, and it paid off. He ran a good race and a good time.”

Kramer emerged from the woods on Miller Hill, the 5 1/2-mile mark, in the lead at 35:35, with Lindberg just four seconds behind and Saari just seven seconds back.

Aas was running not far behind and gradually caught up to Kramer and Saari, and ran with them in a group when they reached the bottom of Ester Dome Road.

At Mile 12.44 and the out-and-back portion of Ester Dome that was covered in fog and pelted by drizzle and wind, Aas moved into the lead with a split of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 7 seconds, despite being bothered by cramps that occured three miles earlier. Kramer was just one second behind Aas at Mile 12.44 and Saari was only six seconds behind.

“Mike had a little bit of a gap going into the hill, but I felt like I was stronger going up there,” Aas said. “I just figured I would keep on going when I reached the top.”

Kramer had been bothered by a knee injury, but he wanted to hang with Aas and Saari on Saturday for as long as possible.

“I knew I didn’t have it in me to win today, but I wanted to stay in it and compete, and watch those guys. I knew it would be a tactical race,” said Kramer, who won the Equinox in 1998 and from 2004-06. “I surprised myself leading as far as I did. I felt really good and I didn’t think I would be with those guys when I hit the hill.”

Kramer said that things fell apart for him quickly when he reached the top of the shrouded Ester Dome.

“I expected that because I haven’t had the training. I was running on experience and enjoying the Equinox,” said the 40-year-old attorney. “I got to play a part in the race and I chose (pace) what I was capable of, and I got a third-place plate. I congratulate Harald and I knew he was ready to win this year, and he went out and ran a smart race.”

Aas descended from Ester Dome and approached the chute with a split of about 1:56:40. Saari was close behind after clocking a split of 1:58:00.

Aas said he wanted to go fast off of Ester Dome and pace himself down the chute, which was slippery because of the drizzle. He slipped once while descending the chute, but he maintained his composure and the lead for the remaining eight-plus miles of the marathon.

“Luckily, I didn’t hurt myself,” Aas said of the slip.

Aas chased Saari down Ester Dome last year, but Saari was the chaser this year.

Saari was nagged by an abdominal ache, but he said it was common.

“You’re not going to run 26 miles without having a lapse in energy,” he said. “I had a little bit of stitching going on, and trouble staying relaxed.”

Saari also didn’t want to red-line, or overextend his heart rate, on Ester Dome.

“Harald put a surge on at like Mile 12, for the last four minutes of the climb,” he said. “I didn’t want to red-line, so I let him go.”

Saari, though, found himself nearly 1 1/2 minutes back of Aas after they came off Ester Dome, moving him within striking distance to repeat for the title.

“I tried not to panic, I just tried to hold it together,” Saari said. “My plan was to run my race and stay within striking distance, and go like hell off the top. I wasn’t able to go like hell off the top this year to try to catch him.”

Aas had an excellent recall of the way Saari ran off off Ester Dome and sprinted down the chute last year.

“I don’t know if I learned so much about the course (from last year), but I learned from (watching) Matias that I wasn’t good enough running down hills” Aas said. “So, I tried to be a little more aggressive this year.”