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Dubbed one of the world’s toughest races, the 22nd Arrowhead Ultra 135 begins Monday for runners, bikers and skiers. The course follows a Minnesota snowmobile trail from International Falls to Tower, near Lake Vermillion State Park.

Early morning temperatures when the race kicks off could be a challenge, but should balance out during the race.

"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, during the day, kind of zero degrees plus or minus, say, 10 degrees, which is actually almost perfect for racers,” said Ken Krueger, the race director. “It keeps the trail hard and it keeps them from sweating too bad."

The event features competitors from 26 states and nine countries. With an overall completion rate of just over one-half, racers battle rough terrain, weather elements and themselves.

Racers can also choose to complete the race in one of two ways — supported or unsupported.

Supported means competitors are tracked and can use warming houses with food and hot beverages at three checkpoints spaced about equally along the way. Unsupported entrants aren’t tracked but do check in at the checkpoints. However, they are not allowed to enter the warming facilities or benefit from anything offered inside. 

Krueger said all of the athletes have a few things in common.

"A lot of people use the word ‘crazy,’” he said. “But I would use the words people that are out for a ‘challenge’ or an ‘adventure.’”

Weather conditions are expected to be near optimal, but that wasn’t the case a few years ago. And it presented issues Krueger said he thought he would never see in an area known for being among the coldest in the lower 48 states.

“The trail was impassable until about four or five days before the race, because much of the course goes through swamps, and they literally were not frozen,” he said. “We had one water crossing, which I never even dreamed I would have to worry about.” 

Krueger expects the first wave of bikers to begin crossing the finish line Monday night. And he said any funds left over after the event ends will be donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a local food shelf and to buy coats for children.

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Mathew Holding Eagle III

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One of the world's toughest races, the Arrowhead Ultra 135, begins Monday for runners, bikers and skiers. The course follows a snowmobile trail from International Falls to Tower, Minnesota.

135 miles of 'adventure' or 'crazy,' depending on your point-of-view

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