Dogs & Mushers Enter Final Stretch Of 2022 Beargrease Marathon
GRAND MARAIS, Minn. (WCCO) -- A special kind of marathon is taking place along the North Shore.
The 38th annual John Beargrease Dog Sled race began in Duluth on Sunday morning, and the marathoners will finish Tuesday evening after a grueling trek up to Grand Portage near the Canadian border.
The race is named in honor of John Beargrease, a postal carrier who delivered mail by dog sled in the late 1800s.
The teams that show are in it to win it. To win this race, mushers and their dogs must overcome all kinds of northern Minnesota adversity.
The Beargrease is 300-miles long and takes three days to finish. But many of the teams traveled hundreds of miles more than that just to be here. Ryan Redington, who won the 2020, marathon was the leader after day one. He and his dogs are from Knik, Alaska.
"It's a really tough race, but the hills and the competition are very good. The people of Minnesota are awesome, and yeah, it's gonna be a good race," Redington said.
Long day for the pups. #beargrease2022 #wcco pic.twitter.com/oPgAeB9WWb
— John Lauritsen (@JDLauritsen) February 1, 2022
After no fans at the starting line last year due to COVID-19, they were back in full force -- with a record number of dog sled teams signing up for whatever awaits them along the trail.
The mushers and their four-legged athletes actually thrive when the sun goes down and the temperature drops. They navigate through the cold and dark of the wilderness, keeping an eye out for moose and other animals and only stopping at mandatory checkpoints. That's where veterinarians get a look at the dogs, and the huskies get a hot meal.
Over the course of the marathon, sleep comes in spurts. But the teams are fueled by adrenaline. Win or lose, these dogs run for pride and for mail. Each team is actually carrying mail as they race, in honor of John Beargrease.
"When the dogs are coming into the checkpoints there's many times they want to keep going," said Beargrease spokesperson Monica Hendrickson. "They're not tired, they want to keep going."
Alaskan and Siberian Huskies are used for these races. Planning for the Beargrease is a year-round endeavor, and about 400 volunteers make it all possible.
There are two shorter races along the route as well. The Beargrease marathon is a qualifying race for the Iditarod in Alaska.