Showing some fatigue, Emma Spoon was nearly at the finish of the very tough, grueling Moose Mountain Marathon when this picture was taken. Despite a hard fall, Emma won the women’s race and set a new course record.
Despite a hard fall and despite it being her first 26 miles, 385-yard marathon, Emma Spoon, 27, Grand Marais, broke the women’s course record at the Moose Mountain Marathon held on Saturday, September 9, crossing the finish line in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 30 seconds at Caribou Highlands.
Spoon was muddy, and her hip was sore at the finish, but she was satisfied with her race.
“I had to walk some coming up the last couple of big hills,” said Spoon. “They were steep. And I found the course to be muddy. I didn’t expect to run through so much mud. But the course overall was in good shape. No one passed me, so I was pleased with that. This was my first marathon, and I was a couple of minutes under the course record, so, other than my hip, I’m satisfied with my race.”
Overall, Spoon finished seventh out of 302 runners. She broke the 2 hour, 11 minutes and 3 seconds course record set by Helen Lavin in 2009.
Just ahead of Emma was Jeff Lombardo, Grand Marais, who placed sixth with a time of 4 hours, 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Lindsay Lombardo, Grand Marais, was 82nd in 6 hours, 7 minutes and 42 seconds.
Spoon’s boyfriend, Shane Steele, was going to run but a back injury kept him from the starting line. Steele would have been a good threat to win the men’s race, but instead, he was at the finish line waiting for Emma.
“How did you end up with mud on your face?” he asked.
“It happened when I fell. It was slippery, and I fell hard on my side,” replied Spoon as Shane bent to wipe the mud off from the right side of her cheek as she sat on the grass.
This is Emma’s second record-setting time on the Superior hiking trails in the Lutsen area. Last spring she set the 25K (15.5 miles) record of 2 hours, 26 seconds. To put that time in perspective, the 25K men’s record was set by 2 hour, 20-minute marathon runner Eric Hartmark, Duluth, who crossed the line in 1 hour, 38 minutes and 9 seconds in 2008.
Michael Borst of LaCrosse, Wisconsin was the men’s marathon winner. Borst finished in 3 hours, 46 minutes and 36 seconds, more than 10 minutes ahead of James Sorenson, Minneapolis, who ran with ski poles. Borst is the course record holder. He set the record in 2016 with a time of 8 hours, 38 minutes and 1 second.
Superior Trail men’s 50-mile winner was Brent Loberg from Eagan, Minnesota. Brent covered the distance in 8 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.
Neal Collick of Negaunee, Michigan won men’s Superior 100-mile race with a time of 19 hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds. He finished almost three hours ahead of second place finisher Paul Shol of Fergus Falls. Collick was just over one minute off the course record set in 2015.
Gretchen Metsa of Buhl, Minnesota won the women’s 100-mile race in 25 hours, 23 minutes and 3 seconds.
Overall there were 169 entries in the 100-mile race, 105 in the 50-mile race and 302 runners in the marathon.
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