Crossing the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon finish line in first and second place, Blake and Jennifer Freking celebrate with their daughters, Elena and Nicole. Photo courtesy of John Stember
With Arctic winds driving temperatures downwards along shore-frozen Lake Superior and Cook County schools shut down due to the cold, the dog mushers of the northland drove onwards on a brutal January day to finish the 300-mile John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.
For the first time in recent memory, husband and wife Blake and Jennifer Freking of nearby Finland, Minnesota took home both first and second place in the 300-mile marathon. They both successfully finished the race with 10-12 dog teams. The Frekings are known for running Siberian huskies, but this year they decided to incorporate a group of Alaskan huskies from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
In an exhilarating finish to the 300-mile race, Ryan Redington left the final checkpoint, Mineral Center, with seven dogs and a two-hour lead over Blake Freking. With 36 miles to go, first place appeared to be all but buttoned up. But shortly after leaving, Redington’s dogs lay down on the trail. They wouldn’t go.
“About a mile out I ran into Ryan. He was having trouble with his dogs. We tried to see if they would chase; I tried to run in front of them,” said Blake Freking. After a few vain attempts to encourage the stopped team, Redington urged him to continue. Freking reported, “It wasn’t until about a mile later that I realized I was in first place.” Blake went on to win the race with a time of 19:32:31, followed by his wife Jennifer Freking with 21:17:58.
Jason Rice and Colleen Wallin finished the marathon behind the Frekings in third and fourth place, followed by Cook County local Erin Altemus and Alaskan Ryan Redington. This year, only seven of twelve dog mushers completed the entire 300-mile race.
In the 120-mile mid-distance race, Ryan Anderson of St. Croix, Wisconsin, finished in first place with a time of 10:13:34. Anderson typically competes in the marathon race but recently had his first child, Alivia, this past summer.
Martha Schouweiler finished in second with a time of 10:21:42. Schouweiler had dominated the mid-distance race since 2015, winning out the last four years. Joana Oberg of Grand Marais took home third place with a time of 10:30:07.
There were many firsts this year for the 2019 John Beargrease sled dog races. Both the mid-distance and marathon races finished in Cook County at Lutsen Mountain and Grand Portage Casino. For the first time, partners Blake and Jennifer Freking of Finland, Minnesota took home both first and second place in the marathon. And finally, to inspire more dog mushers to make the jump to long distance, this was also the first year the race mileage was shortened from 400 miles to 300 miles.
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