Redington wins second John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon title

Sled dogs take off at the start.
Sled dogs take off at the start of the 2015 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth. On Tuesday, musher Ryan Redington and his team won their second Beargrease title.
Derek Montgomery for MPR News 2015

Musher Ryan Redington and his team are champions of this year's John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in northeast Minnesota.

They crossed the finish line Tuesday afternoon to win the 300-mile race from Duluth to Grand Portage. It's the second Beargrease title for Redington, who also won in 2018.

Redington, who splits his time between Alaska and northern Wisconsin, finished about 15 minutes ahead of another past Beargrease champion, Keith Aili of Ray, Minn.

WDIO-TV reports Aili was running a team of Redington's dogs in the Beargrease. From those two teams, Redington will select a team of dogs to compete in Alaska's famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in March.

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Three-time Beargrease champion Ryan Anderson of Cushing, Wis., and his team finished third.

The Beargrease started near Duluth on Sunday. The trail follows the rugged topography of the North Shore and the Gunflint Trail.

While the race often is held in subzero conditions, this year teams saw temperatures in the teens and 20s.

In addition to the 300-mile race, the Beargrease also has several shorter events.

Erin Schouweiler of Irma, Wis., and her team won the 120-mile Beargrease mid-distance race. Her mother-in-law, Martha Schouweiler — a four-time mid-distance winner — won this year's 40-mile race.