DULUTH – The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, an annual competition that sends teams from the outskirts of Duluth to Grand Portage, has been postponed until March 2, race officials said Thursday.
There isn’t enough ice and snow along the 300-mile route — or any of the alternate routes — to safely host the event. The races, marking the 40th running of the longest event in the Lower 48, were originally scheduled to start later this month.
“Safety is our number one priority,” Beargrease board president Mike Keyport said in a news release.
Gunflint Mail Run officials, also citing a lack of snow, have also postponed this year’s race, but have not yet set a makeup date, according to an update on its website. The 65-mile race was scheduled for Jan. 11.
On this same day last year, the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon’s board of directors canceled the 2024 race. There wasn’t a good date for the event to be rescheduled. The Beargrease is a qualifier for Alaska’s Iditarod.
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