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2008 Fairbanks Summer Solstice

The longest day of the year is cause for celebration in Fairbanks -- the sun rises at 4:21 a.m. and doesn't set until 12:48 a.m. the next day. It is above the horizon 21 hours, 49 minutes, but it's effectually light all night. Here are some photos of what Fairbanksans and guests did with all that daylight. Send your solstice photos to ourtown@newsminer.com and we'll add them to this gallery.

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Photo by Johnny Wagner

Photo by Johnny Wagner

Crystal Pitney and Maggie Callahan pushed each other and their teammates in practices for the West Valley High School girls cross-country and track and field squads.

Their competitiveness helped the Wolfpack capture Class 4A state cross-country team titles from 2004-2006 and state track crowns in 2005 and 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2007.

It wasn’t surprising to see their intensity along the 10-kilometer course (6.2 miles) of the 26th annual Midnight Sun Run on Saturday night.

Callahan stayed close to her former high school teammate early, but Pitney pulled away for her fourth straight women’s victory in the race that starts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Patty Center, maneuvers through neighborhood streets and finishes at Pioneer Park.

Pitney crossed the finish line in 38 minutes, 51.6 amid a boisterous, swelling crowd. The time was also good for 23rd place overall in the race which attracted nearly 4,000 participants

Callahan pushed her, too, before the 2007 West Valley graduate entered the finish chute at 39:07.2, which also placed her 25th overall.

Tok’s Charity Walker earned third place among the women in 40:00.2, edging out Sara Dillman of Santa Barbara, Calif., who finished in 40:09.1 after taking the runner-up honor a year ago. Allison Meadow of Tucson, Ariz., rounded out the top five in 40:18.4

Pitney has done countless summer road races in the Interior, but she calls the Midnight Sun her favorite race.

“It’s wonderful ... to win this one makes it sweeter ,’’ she said. “Solstice is my favorite day of the year and it’s a big community race.”

If their respective colleges should ever meet in cross-country and track, Saturday night may have offered a preview of future distance events between the University of Arizona and Colorado State University. Pitney is going to be a freshman in the fall at Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference and Callahan is entering her sophomore year with Arizona of the Pacific-10, a fellow NCAA Division I conference.

“I hope so,’’ Pitney said with a laugh. “We’ve raced against each other forever and I totally look up to her as a an athlete. In her first year in college, she did amazing. I hope I can live up to that next year.’’

Callahan placed 17th among 34 finishers in 10:43.11 in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in the D-I West Regional in Northridge, Calif., in late May. Two weeks earlier, she competed in the Pac-10 Championships in Tempe, Ariz., and had the conference’s sixth-fastest time of the season (11:03.44) heading into the meet.

On Saturday night, Callahan was thinking more of a 10K race on the longest day of the year than potential future collegiate competition.

“I was just trying to stay with Crystal,” Callahan said. “I know she knows this race, and she runs it very well and very smart.’’

Pitney knew Callahan was close, too.

“I could definitely sense her running right behind me, which is the smartest thing you can do in a race,’’ Pitney said.

Dillman stayed with the two former West Valley runners until they pulled away from her at two miles into the race.

Callahan was running from one to two seconds behind Pitney until her former Wolfpack teammate gained separation at the four-mile mark on the way to her fourth straight victory.

“I never lost sight of her, which is good,’’ Callahan said.