Delayed John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon gets a new starting point where snow is plentiful

DULUTH – The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, already delayed by more than a month, will begin Sunday north of Two Harbors at what has traditionally been the race’s first checkpoint.

“Weather always plays a role in sled dog race and unfortunately the recent warm temperatures have made conditions at our original start line unsuitable for the race,” Mike Keyport, president of the marathon, said in a news release. “There is virtually no snow as of now.”

The new start is near the North Shore State Trail on Township Road 24, accessible along Hwy. 2. Signs to help direct traffic and updated parking info will be on the event’s website, according to the organization.

The race traditionally starts at Billy’s Bar on the outskirts of Duluth, where thousands of spectators mingle with mushers and line up to watch the teams take off in a staggered, single-file start. The annual event, now in its 40th year, winds along the North Shore to Grand Portage, where mushers finish days later.

The 40- and 120-mile races are still on, with the former ending in Finland and the latter at its usual finish line, the Trestle Inn.

After last year’s race was canceled, this year’s event was postponed in early January because there wasn’t enough snow along the 300-mile route, or any alternative routes, to safely hold the race then.

The Beargrease’s 16-team field includes Erin Aili, who won in 2021 — the first woman to do so in more than two decades. Nathan Schroeder, who has won four times, is also listed as a competitor.

This year’s race coincides with the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race in Alaska being run for the first time by Duluth adventurer Emily Ford and 2023 Iditarod winner Ryan Redington, who also has won the Beargrease.