Stopping at a checkpoint, this musher takes care of his dogs first before taking care of himself. The mushers and dogs that take part in the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon are hardy and tough, but it’s easy to see that there is a lot of love between a musher and his or her dogs. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
The 37th running of the John Beargrease race will commence on January 31 with a lot of fanfare but without fans.
No fans will be allowed to attend the race start, checkpoints, or the finish of the four races this year, said Monica Hendrickson, a volunteer spokesperson for the event. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all musher in-person events and sponsorship events have also been canceled.
Race organizers wrestled for months with how to put the race on safely for the 70 mushers and approximately 500 volunteers while also trying to figure out how to stage a race with fewer sponsors who fund the event.
Helpers will work in assigned pods, and mushers and handlers will use portable bathrooms placed along the course. Hendrickson said the number one priority is keeping everyone as safe as possible. Because of the great expense to enter the Beargrease, Hendrickson said that mushers who come down with COVID- 19 and can’t attend would receive a refund. “Mushers aren’t rich people,” said Hendrickson. “We decided to hold some money back, so if someone gets COVID- 19 and can’t attend the race, they will get their fees back. It seemed like the right thing to do.”
The race is named after John Beargrease, the legendary Anishinaabe mail carrier who delivered mail using sled dogs in the 1800s. This is the longest sled dog race in the lower 48 states and is used by mushers to qualify for the famed Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska.
The Beargrease has four events for mushers of all levels. The feature event is the 300-mile race that starts at Billy’s Bar in Duluth and ends at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino in Grand Portage; other events are the 120 mile and 40-mile races plus a race for the kids.
Two local mushers are entered in the 300- mile race, Mary Manning and Erin Altemus. Four from the county: Frank Moe, Andrea Deboer, Rita Wehseler, and Joanna Oberg, are racing the 120- mile event. Adam Treeful is running in the Beargrease 40 mushers recreational class race. No local kids are listed for racing in the kids’ event.
Adam Treeful is the lone local entered in the 40-mile race.
Hendrickson, who has been working long hours as the race nears, said the Beargrease organizers are working with local media to offer viewers chances to watch the race and follow the mushers. She asks people who venture to the trails to see the mushers come by, to please stay far away from the mushers and their dog teams.
To learn more about the 2021 Beargrease Race, go to the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon website.
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