Cook County, Minn. – The Gunflint Mail Run kicked off the start of the dog-sled racing season in Cook County this weekend. The original event, which is a 12-dog, 100-mile race included two runs, approximately 50 miles each, over a two-day stretch, and an eight-dog shorter and faster race (65 miles).
The race started and finished at Trail Center Lodge, 7611 Gunflint Trail, on Poplar Lake, Grand Marais, Minn. (Trail Center Lodge is approximately 30 miles up the Gunflint Trail).
According to race director Sarah Hamilton of Trail Center Lodge, “the cold weather made the race particularly fast – many of the teams were a half an hour faster than their times last year, which was much warmer. All the teams completed the first leg of the race and were in for their rest stop by 12:30 a.m. Some years they are out as late as 3:30 a.m.” Cathy Quinn, volunteer coordinator, reported that more than 70 volunteers participated in this year’s race.
Here are the winners of the 2020 Gunflint Mail Run:
12-dog teams
Here are the results of 2020 100-mile 12-dog race:
Ryan (winner of 12-dog, pictured above, left) & Erin Redington (4th place winner of 12-dog, pictured above, right)
1.) Ryan Redington, Skagway, AK 8:18:48
2.) Ryan Anderson, St. Croix Fall, Wis. 8:21:43
3.) Rita Wehseler, Tofte, Minn. 8:26:32
4.) Erin Redington, Skagway, AK 8:29:46
5.) Matt Schmidt, Grand Marais, 8:39:13
6.) Blake Freking, Finland, Minn. 8:49:23
7.) Frank Moe, Hovland, Minn. 9:10:26
8.) Nathan Schroeder, Goodland, Minn. 9:10:26
9.) Andy Heerschap, Nolalu, Ontario 9:52:42
10.) Jaye Foucher, Mohawk, Mich. 9:55:30
11.) Laura Neese, McMillan, Mich. 10:12:57
12.) Kevin Mathis, Monona, Iowa 10:18:03
13.) Talia Martens, Brule, Wis. 10:30:19
14.) John Fisher, Cook, Minn. 11:20:00
8-dog teams:
Here are the results of the 2020 65-mile 8-dog race:
Joanna Oberg (winner of 8-dog, pictured above)
1.) Joanna Oberg, Grand Marais, Minn. 5:12:37
2.) Erin Schouweiler, Irma, Wis. 5:18:10
3.) Brian Bergen, Sioux Lookout, Ontario 5:23:30
4.) Stephanie Love, Hovland, Minn. 5:37:31
5.) Dusty Klaven, Togo, Minn. 5:40:17
6.) Ryan Beaber, Mountain, Wis. 5:47:57
7.) Erin Altemus, Grand Marais, Minn. 5:51:22
8.) Craig Fox, Mountain, Wis. 6:03:24
9.) Janet Bahe, Togo, Minn. 6:07:28
10.) Andrea DeBoer, Grand Marais, Minn. 6:10:18
11.) Steve Peterson, Granby, Colo. 6:10:26
12.) Darcy Stanley-Nord, Milaca, Minn. 6:12:47
13.) Anna Bolvin, Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan 6:15:23
14.) Nicole Grangroth, Menahga, Minn. 7:03:30
15.) Alice White, Ely, Minn. 7:11:41
About Visit Cook County
Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior”. Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades — most recently it was named USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town, Outside Magazine’s The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016, and Budget Travel’s 2015 Coolest Small Town in America.
Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #donorthmn, Twitter @CookCoVisitors, Facebook, or Instagram @donorthmn. Learn more at www.visitcookcounty.com.
