DULUTH - The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is a tough test for teams, traversing the hills of the North Shore. It's a race that requires mushers and their dogs to work together toward a common goal.

After completing the race Wednesday, teams of sled dogs enjoyed a well-deserved dinner at the finish line north of Duluth.

With three days and 390 miles of running behind them, many of the dogs were howling for more.

Fifteen teams crossed the finish line this year - more than twice as many as last year.

"The race was great – conditions were super out there," said musher Peter McClelland of Ely. "That last snowfall really helped out, and boy, what a field of competitors – getting this many teams to the finish line is pretty impressive."

There's a unique bond between mushers and their dogs, each depending on the other to avoid distractions and get the job done.

"I always run my own race – you have to look at your own dogs and just see how they are, and base the race around them and what they're doing – not what other folks are doing, or how fast they're going," said musher Blake Freking of Finland.

It's also up to the mushers to keep morale strong.

"You have to be strong for yourself, but also for these dogs, because if you start getting weak and depressed and tired, you know all of the dark thoughts start coming in and you weaken, then they start to weaken," said musher Jason Barron, who finished second this year after winning the Beargrease in 2008 and 2009.

As the teams glided along the trail this year, through the rugged interior of the North Shore, there was time to appreciate the surroundings - the stark silhouettes of birch, pine and spruce; the snow-covered hills; and the sky above.

"Being out there with the moon, and with Mars being so bright out there... that was just a huge highlight for this race," McClelland said. "Running at night is always the highlight – through the woods, it's really magical."

Some mushers brought their own soundtracks to accompany the sights.

"I have a lot of music on [my iPod], but my big thing is I'm an audio books junkie," Barron said. "I was listening to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged coming in here."

As teams crossed the finish line, mushers and handlers enjoyed the celebration, but only for a few moments. Then they turned their attention back to their teams.

"The biggest reward is seeing the dogs as happy as they have been – it's really great," said Jennifer Freking, a musher in previous Beargrease races who was handling dogs this year for her husband, Blake.

For the teams that finished, it was another Beargrease challenge conquered - and for some, a taste of races yet to come.

"Now we'll taper down after this race and then we'll start building some training back up," said Blake Freking, who will run his team in the Iditarod next month. "We leave for Alaska about Feb. 20."

It will be Blake Freking's third Iditarod. He competes with a team of purebred Siberian huskies.

For more information about the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, go to www.beargrease.com.

For more information about the Iditarod, go to www.iditarod.com.