Beargrease marathon racer Blake Freking peddles to help his team up a hill near the Caribou Trail during the 2019 marathon, which he won. Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com - Duluth, Minnesota 
Beargrease joins international sled dog racing championship circuit
The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon announced Wednesday night it would be joining an international sled dog racing championship circuit.
Aker BioMarine, a biotech company based in Norway, is launching the circuit called Qrill Pet Arctic World Series (QPAWS). Qrill Pet is the brand name for Aker BioMarine’s line of pet food.
QPAWS features four races from around the world — the John Beargrease Marathon, Femundsløpet in Norway, Volga Quest in Russia and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Frank Moe, vice president of the Beargrease board of directors, said the Beargrease was invited to participate as it is the oldest and longest race in the lower 48.
“They asked us to be a part of this circuit that will promote mushing as well as dog health and welfare around the world, and we thought that was very consistent with our own mission,” Moe said. “So we were very interested.”
According to Moe, every musher who is registered to participate in one of the four races automatically qualifies for the series. Mushers receive points based on how high they finish in a race and how well they care for their dogs.
View Full Article