Beargrease sled dog race canceled due to lack of funding

Michael Bestgen
Mid-distance musher Michael Bestgen, of St. Cloud, Minn., reaches out to a fan in the crowd, shortly after leaving the starting line of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Bestgen has been mushing for 14 years.
Grace A. Walsh for MPR

The 2014 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon has been canceled due to lack of funding, organizers said.

Organizers will use the year to regroup and raise funds for future races, according to WDIO:

[Board president and race coordinator Pat] Olson said the only thing they can't control, the weather, has been their biggest enemy.

"Canceling the race two years ago, and then having to postpone it last year, we really took a beating to have to do that," explained Olson.

Olson said they took those hits financially and more funding just hasn't been coming in this year. She said it takes a minimum of $45,000 to run a race.

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