DULUTH, Minn. — The unseasonably warm temperatures continue to wreak havoc on winter festivities, now forcing organizers to postpone one of the nation's largest sled dog race.
The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, the longest sled dog race in the contiguous United States, was postponed Tuesday until January of 2025. According to a social media post, the board of directors was discussing pushing it back to a later date but said the weather was too unpredictable to reschedule this winter.
"After months of waiting for the weather to cooperate, the Board of Directors for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon has made the decision to postpone the 40th running to January 26, 2025," the post reads. "This was not an easy decision. But, with concerns over the weather, safety of the dogs, mushers and volunteers it was the only decision that we felt comfortable with."
The annual race, which begins in Duluth and runs more than 300 miles, is a qualifier for the world-famous Iditarod and therefore attracts some of the world's top mushers.
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2022
Blake Freking is one of many mushers who registered to compete in the 2024 Beargrease. He's a two-time champion. While he believes cancellation was the right call for everyone’s safety, he says the news was hard to take.
"The Beargrease isn’t just a weekend event for us, we’re working toward that all year round,” Freking said.
Ryan Redington trains near Duluth in Wisconsin. He won the Iditarod last year and is also a two-time champion of Beargrease. Now, he's frantically making his way up to Alaska for a different race.
"It's a huge bummer," he said. "The ones that are trying to qualify for the Iditarod, it definitely changes their plans."
His training also adapted to the warmer weather
"We're still getting miles of training on an ATV," he said. "The dogs are still getting conditioned and we're just doing it without snow. "
Mushers aren't the only ones bummed. The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce says January is already a slow month for the North Shore.
"There's a little bit of a gap in January, February where things slow down a little bit," said Duluth Area Chamber Vice President Daniel Fanning. “So something like Beargrease was always a great way to help fill some of those hotels, some of those restaurants, some of those bars and other establishments.”
According to the Chamber, January sees lower tourism tax collections even with events like Beargrease.
“Now, without Beargrease this year, it’s as important as ever to help support local businesses like hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, and more,” said Fanning.
Beargrease organizers will still hold several fundraising events for the race, including the cutest puppy contest, art show and more.
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