A longtime trail runner got her road legs back on Sunday at the Claim Pre-Skagway 10 Miler.

Laura Kosakoski, a medical resident from Calgary who is working for a few months at a clinic in Whitehorse, won the women’s division in one hour 14 minutes two seconds. She was fourth overall.

“It was a great course. It was beautiful,” she said. “A couple good climbs to get the ol’ heart rate up. It was a windy day, which made for a bit of a battle at times, but no, it was awesome.”

More than 20 runners took part in this year’s tune-up race for September’s Klondike Road Relay, with the 16-kilometre distance mimicking the legs for the race.

Conditions for runners were windy. With what some described as a head-wind both up and downhill.

For Kosakoski, who has been exploring the trails around Grey Mountain, the race was a good way to get back on the pavement before her Leg 10 run at the road relay. She was recently recruited by a team for the event.

“It was nice when we got into Miles Canyon, then we got to run on trails for a bit, which was good,” she said. “Easier on the legs.

“There’s that final straight through Lewes Boulevard, that was the real gut-check time.”

Kosakoski was followed closely to the line by local Anett Kralisch, who won the women’s 10K Yukon Championships in August.

“I saw her a couple times,” said Kosakoski. “I’d get a flash of green behind me. But I tried not to let that get to me.”

Kralisch finished in 1:14:11, while Sophie Tremblay rounded out the women’s podium in 1:21:00.

David Eikelboom won the men’s division, finishing in 58:19.

While not as fast as he would have liked, Eikelboom used the run to practise more technical aspects of his race.

He’ll be running Leg 10 this year for Running Home to Yukon Brewing, which was the top Yukon team in 2016.

Eikelboom will be looking to attack the hills.

“You have a section where you can really speed up,” he said of Leg 10. “I’m really looking forward to the road relay.”

Brendan Morphet was second in 1:04:39 and Bill Matiation was third in 1:13:17.