Oops, sorry

Beargrease Home

I did not realize that the Beargrease race had severed its ties to the Winter Carnival...one local paper still puts them together the other does not.

I went to the Carnivals official site and they do not mention the race---so I can assume that at some point in the last few years they had parted ways *my guess would be during one of the years the race had to be cancelled for lack of snow*

But here is the official link to the race site.

So the race remembers the life of John Beargrease--the ever faithful mailman of the north. If you ever watch/read 'Iron Will' the race featured is based on this run.

The trail has two legs....a short leg (mid-distance) and a longer leg (for the real nuts--and called the Marathon). Here is the link to a pdf if you wish to see the John Beargrease Route 2008.
Sometimes the route will vary year to year depending on snow coverage.
the Mid-Distance race goes from Duluth to Tofte, MN (about 84miles by car) and the Marathon race is so long that the mushers have to do the run up and back--from Duluth to Poplar Lake and then back to Duluth along the same trail (about 282 miles by car, 141 up + 141 back).

Now add into all that the - 70F windchills that they have to deal with at night....and dang it you have something legends are made of. Well, if there were a cause behind the run you'd have a legend.
So now the long run is