Man dies following Duluth inline skating marathon, organizers say
DULUTH, Minn. — A man died after participating in an inline skater marathon this weekend in Duluth, and just weeks after becoming a father.
Organizers of the Northshore Inline Marathon say they are "deeply saddened by the passing of Mike Lufholm" following Saturday's event.
The circumstances surrounding Lufholm's death are unclear. In a statement released Sunday on Facebook, organizers thanked participants "who came to the aid of a fellow skater, the first responders, and the medical professionals who provided medical care."
Organizers said Lufholm "made such an impact on the rollerblading community."
A GoFundMe page was established to help his young family, including his 3-week-old daughter. Michelle Connelly, the page's organizer, said Lufholm "passed away suddenly" during the marathon.
"So that's why the news was so hard because they had their whole life in front of them," said Pete Samson, Lufholm's brother-in-law.
Samson says Lufholm was a man of many talents, not just skating. He loved being in nature and taking pictures of it, especially pictures of the North Shore. He shared his photography online.
"Skating was a passion that brought him so much happiness. Along with being an athlete, Mike was an avid photographer and nature lover. His zest for life came through his art," Connelly said.
Lufholm grew up in Hermantown, just outside of Duluth, but most recently lived in the Twin Cities, and hosted frequent community skate events around the area.
"It was more than a sport. It was therapeutic, it was mental health, it was all of those things, and he would just reach out to people that maybe wanted to get some exercise and open this community to them, and it was just such a passion," said Samson. "We're a community, we're meant to just be with people and that's how he would have wanted to be remembered...just live your passions and share it with others."
More than $50,000 has been raised so far for Lufholm's family.
Event organizers say the NorthShore Inline Marathon is in its 28th year and describe the 39-mile race as "one of the most iconic inline skating events in the United States."
Lufholm's death comes just days after 27-year-old Blake Joseph Groulx collapsed during Minneapolis' City of Lakes Half Marathon and later died. Groulx's obituary states he died from "cardiac issues while finishing the last stretch" of the race.
Groulx's family is asking for any donations to go to The Bridge for Youth or the American Heart Association.