24th NorthShore Inline Marathon Glides to Canal Park

This year the inline marathon was a special comeback story from one 77-year-old athlete who has been inline skating for nearly 20 years.

DULUTH, Minn. – Speeding down past the Minnesota Slip Bridge were 1,500 athletes inline skating and inline skiing into the finish line at the end of a marathon from Two Harbors.

Hundreds of men and women, children and seniors, were all on wheels for the 24th annual marathon.

This year the inline marathon was a special comeback story from one 77-year-old athlete who has been inline skating for nearly 20 years.

“Two years ago I finished this event had an amazing race and an hour after that race I had a heart attack and the following Monday, St. Luke’s wonderful St. Luke’s took care of me and gave me a quad bypass,” said Roger Olson who heralds from Southern California.

Olson completed his comeback by traveling across the country for what he calls the most prestigious inline road race in the entire country.

“I’m feeling great the sun is on my face and I’m here again just to compete with all my friends. Two years later having a wonderful event and was able to set another age record,” said Olson.

Inline skaters were not the only wheels on the course. Nearly 400 roller skiers made the journey as well.

“The community of roller skiers is much much smaller you’re doing it in the summertime when everybody else is playing golf or riding bicycles or whatever. But we are out on the roads on the pavement and we are rollerskiing with this kind of equipment and we are training for the snow. So there are not a lot of people that are as crazy as that,” said Mark Nienstaedt who has completed a dozen NorthShore Inline Marathons.

Many athletes attend the race each year, but one mom decided that she would compete for the first time this year.

“You know I’m a mom to two boys and I’m in grad school and so this is just a fun thing to do to kind of have an excuse to go outside and get on my roller blades and train little bit. for me it was a fun ride,” said Sara Vipond whose two sons and family were there cheering her on.

Inline skating rose to popularity in the 1980s and those who love the sport are trying to make sure it stays around for the next generation.

“We have talented skaters that we try to encourage them and get them equipment and take them to races so they can compete and it grows the sport,” said Steve Larios, who trains people from around the world.

Though racing is a singular sport, many athletes attribute their success to those who skate on either side of them.

“The camaraderie of all these people and hanging out with all these younger people just makes me feel good,” said Olson.

The weekend is going to finish off with an extreme skating competition in Lincoln Park in Duluth.