By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An avid marathon racer braved a mostly gravel surface, a sore hip and a close encounter with a caribou to become the first athlete on record to run the entire 92 miles of the road stretching through Denali National Park.

Bill VonderMehden, 34, a chef who works at one of the park's lodges, made the run in a little over 25 hours spanning July 21-22, realizing an ambition that began when he first came to Denali three years ago and "absolutely fell in love with it," he said.

Running the entire road -- the only one that goes through the park -- was an unusual experience, even for someone accustomed to long-distance foot races, he said.

"It's one thing to do a road race where there are aid stations and people cheering you on," he said. "Out there, there's no aid stations. It's just you and the moose and the bears."

At one point, he said, he nearly had a head-on confrontation with a caribou, but the animal veered off before the two collided.

Aside from the wild animals and mountain scenery, the only company VonderMehden had for the entire run was a friend on a bicycle.

VonderMehden first tried to run the full length of the park road last year, but had to stop at 72 miles because of an injured ankle. This year, he had similar problems with a hip, but persevered, albeit at a slower pace than he had planned.

"I was really just kind of upset because I knew my time could have been several hours faster," he said.

The next major feat he is planning is a 100-mile race in Arkansas, he said.

The Denali Park road is paved for only the first 15 miles; the gravel portion after that is usually closed to private vehicles. Most park visitors travel the road by shuttle bus, reaching hiking and camping destinations along the way.

Park officials cannot confirm whether VonderMehden is the first to run the entire route of the road, but they have no record of anyone else doing it, said Denali spokeswoman Kris Fister.

"It's not anything that we keep track of," she said. "It certainly is a great accomplishment."

There is one park employee who makes a practice of walking the entire park road each year, in separate sections on different weeks, Fister said. The employee maintains a blog about the walks on the park website.

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Greg McCune)