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After taking a year off because of COVID- 19, Heck of the North Productions brought back the Le Grand Du Nord gravel cycling races on Saturday, May 29, with 600 riders taking part.
Based on ability, conditioning, or tom foolery, riders entered either the 110-mile, 54 mile or 26-mile race.
Online registration opened March 1 and quickly filled up.
The 110-mile race was capped at 250 riders, as was the 54-mile race and the 26-mile race was capped and closed at 100 participants.
Following the race, Event Director Jeremy Kershaw said, “We got a lot of positive feedback from the riders. Some recent comments include, “’This was my first gravel event and I’m hooked.’” That’s why we do this, why we stay in it.
Kershaw added, “We are blessed with really good volunteers and strong support From Visit Cook County and some long-term partners. They make this race possible to run.”
When asked if he had anything else to say, Jeremy replied, “Yeah, after taking off last year it was nice to see dirty, smiling faces again.”
110-mile results
This year there were 218 finishers in the long race: 182 men, 35 women and one co-ed. The average time to complete the ride was 8:19:22 (8 hours, 19 minutes, and 22 seconds).
Bjorn Larson, 22, Minneapolis, was first across the line in 5:43:18. Shane Steele, 31, of Grand Marais was the top local finisher. Shane placed 16th with a time of 6:24:31. Bryan Broomall, 37, Grand Marais, placed 66th with a time of 7:27:24. Adam Harju, 46, Grand Marais, finished 80th in 7:50:43. Michael Kobelinski, 40, Grand Marais, placed 101st in 8:04:50. Anton Moody, 42, Grand Marais, crossed the line in 8:07:25 to place 102nd . Ben Fiess, 36, Grand Marais, finished 104th in 8:09:49.
William (Bill) Lane, 66, Tofte, placed 147th in 9:02:08.
Erin Ayala, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was the top woman finisher. Erin had a winning time of 7:19:46.
54-mile race results
Some 264 entrants finished: 202 men, 60 women, and two co-eds. The average finishing time was 4:05:34.
Anthony Corradi, 28, Duluth, was the first to cross the finish line in 2:39:03.
Carly Wilson, 27, Minneapolis, was the first woman finisher and placed 12th overall in 2:50:28.
Jonathan Hedstrom, 42, Grand Marais, was the top local finisher, placing 52nd in 3:25:25. Dylan Dragswiek, 42, Grand Marais, placed 101st in 3:47:33.
Patrick Johnson, 43, Grand Marais, was the 109th finisher in 3:50:03. Tim Kennedy, 71, and Buck Benson, 69, both of Grand Marais, finished in 112th and 113th places clocking 3:50:16 and 3:50:50.
Jane Alexander, 61, and Chris Obrien, 64, of Grand Marais, tied with a time of 4:30:38, placing 195th and 196th.
26-mile race
There were 97 finishers: 41 men, 55 women, and one coed in the marathon field.
The average finishing time was 2:38:39.
Louis-Pierre Rich, 24, Minneapolis, was the overall winner, finishing the race in 1:42:56.
Tracie Tofte, 32, Minneapolis, was one second behind Louis, crossing the line in 1:42:57.
Lynne Wiitala, 60, Tofte, was the top local finisher, placing fourth overall with a time of 1:53:59.
Jeremy Kershaw, race director of the Le Grand du Nord and the creator of Heck of the North, an umbrella organization that oversees several long-distance gravel grinding bicycle events in the Northland, lives in Two Harbors with his wife Avessa Rockwell and children.
Heck of the North events are unique. They offer no prize money. Riders are on their own to navigate racecourses and competitors are not allowed assistance from aid stations or spectators. Heck of the North events, said Kershaw, are done solely for the love of cyclists who love adventure riding.
We will follow the latest Covid-19 protocols and added, “We will always keep an eye on current pandemic levels. We will reserve the right to change, stop or modify our events to remain safe and prudent. But we are going ahead with planning.”
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