For Colleen Wallin, the grueling, 300-mile Beargrease sled dog race is a family affair
The 2022 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is officially over. Ten teams crossed the finish line in Grand Portage, Minn., Tuesday night after a grueling 300-mile race that began Sunday in Duluth, Minn. Fourteen other teams scratched, an unusually high number.
To talk about what it was like to run this year's race, host Cathy Wurzer was joined by Colleen Wallin, a musher from the Two Harbors, Minn., area who came in third place.
Wallin was in high spirits. “It was one of my most memorable John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathons ever,” she told Wurzer. “I just couldn’t be happier.”
Wallin loves hitting the trail — and so do her dogs. Sled dogs love racing, even for hundreds of miles, she said: “You don’t have to teach a sled dog how to run. You have to teach a sled dog how to rest.”
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
According to Wallin, teams actually build their schedules for the race around running at night as much as possible. That’s when the snow on the trail is firmest and there are the fewest distractions.
A beautiful sunny afternoon is not a blessing in a sled dog race because of its effect on the dogs.
“What do you want to do when it’s nice and sunny? Curl up and sleep in it, right?” Wallin chuckled.
Wallin’s 19-year-old son Ero also competed in the Beargrease marathon this year. He crossed the finish line shortly after Wallin did, finishing in fourth.
“I will never forget that hug” at the finish line, Wallin said.
Before the race, people asked Wallin: “Are you going to let [your son] pass you and let him finish ahead of you?” But she had no plans to go easy on Ero.
“When he was 5, I never let him win at Candyland, so I’m not going to start now,” Wallin said, laughing as she dispensed some tough love. “This is a life lesson.”
Before saying goodbye, Wallin invited Wurzer out for a ride with her dogs.
“I’ll take you out on a sled run and your life will change,” Wallin said. “I’ll especially teach you how the poop shovel works.”
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.