Although there is not enough snow to start the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, the race will still take place. The race start has been moved to Two Harbors and mushers and their enthusiastic canines will be seen at the traditional checkpoints in Cook County on January 26-27.
Although there has been an abundance of cold weather, low snowfall amounts threatened the cancellation of the 31st running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. However, on January 12, the Beargrease board of directors was happy to announce that the race is on!
The best news for Cook County is that the 2015 route through the rugged Sawtooth Mountains is virtually unchanged. As race organizers stated in their announcement, “The rugged Sawtooth Mountains of the North Shore are the heart and soul of the race, and this year’s trail won’t skip a beat in challenging teams to negotiate those steep ups-and-downs.”
There are many opportunities to see the mushers traveling through Cook County.
The race will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 25 at the Highway 2 gravel pit in Two Harbors. A nearby checkpoint for viewing is the Finland Area Recreation Building. In Cook County there are checkpoints off the Sawbill Trail in Tofte, at Devil Track Lake and at Trail Center on Poplar Lake.
As it has in the past, the 106-mile Mid-Distance Race will finish in Tofte on the snowmobile trail next to AmericInn. Finish times vary greatly depending on weather and trail conditions, but based on past races, the first finishers are anticipated at around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, January 26.
There are no local mushers taking part in the Mid-Distance Race, but there are certainly names that racing fans will recognize, such as Leanne Bergen of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, who was the first finisher in the recent Gunflint Mail Run and Jennifer Freking of Finland or Mike Hoff of Silver Bay.
A number of local mushers are running the 2015 Beargrease Full Marathon. Taking part are Erin Altemus of Grand Marais; Odin Jorgenson of Grand Marais; Frank Moe of Hovland; and Rita Wehseler of Tofte.
The first full marathon teams are expected (based on previous race times and contingent on weather and trail conditions) in at the Sawbill checkpoint on Monday, January 26 at 8:42 a.m. There is a mandatory fourhour layover at this checkpoint on both the up- and down-bound treks. Teams should be at Trail Center at 3 p.m. on Monday and Devil Track Lake at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27.
To follow the race and see up-tothe minute check-in times at other checkpoints, visit the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon at www.beargrease.com.
Leave a Reply