John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon Kicks Off
Hundreds Gather To Cheer The Teams On
Hundreds of people and their canine friends gathered in Two Harbors for the 32nd running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.
The Beargrease is the longest race in the lower 48 states, and has become iconic to the Northshore.
Mushers and their dogs come from other states and even countries to run the challenging course, which is a qualifier of the famous Iditarod dog-sledding race in Alaska.
Jason Campeau traveled from Alberta Canada to run in the race for his first time.
“I mean there’s not a whole lot of dog sled races in the lower 48 and Canada so you always want to try to get to the best races, and race against the best people and dog teams to see how you match up,” said Campeau.
Mushing is something his whole family is passionate about. His wife Jennifer Campeau, had planned on running the Beargrease against him, but couldn’t make the trip this time around.
“I have identical twin daughters Jessica and Mackenzie, they’re 13 so hopefully one day all four of us will be in the same race at some point,” said Campeau.
Carl Routhier selected the best of his dogs out of 60 that he owns
“We, like most teams here, come with 1,000, 2,000 miles training on them,” he said of his team.
He traveled from Quebec, Canada, for a shot at the almost 400-mile race, and although he is also a first-timer of the Beargrease, some people have been running the race for over a decade.
Jamie Nelson has won the Beargrease more times than any other musher, and this was her 18th run.
But whether they’re a first timer to the race or a seasoned Beargrease veteran, the combination of their love for their dogs and their penchant for adventure brings them to the race.
