Celebrating its 39th year of racing along the North Shore, the 2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon was as exciting as ever. Perfect weather conditions combined with excellent trail conditions lead to perfect race conditions. And, a few thrilling scenes at the finish line added to the excitement of the race. Here are the results of the 2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, along with our recap of the finish line.
Perfect Racing Conditions Lead to Fast Finishing Times
What may seem like frigid, cold temps to a person is experienced very differently from the perspective of a sled dog. Sled dogs like cold temperatures. The race started on Sunday afternoon to sub-zero temps, and those temps were maintained throughout the next two days. As we humans huddled around campfires at checkpoints to stay warm, the dogs were as happy as could be. Along with the cold temps, a dusting of snow just a few days before the start of the race led to great trail conditions. Teams were able to maintain pace throughout the 300-mile race.
Because of the great weather, teams were making excellent times. And most teams were able to finish the race.
This is in stark contrast to the 2022 race. In 2022, warm temperatures quickly overtook several teams. This resulted in 14 out of the 24 teams that raced to scratch before the finish line. This year, out of 17 teams that registered and started the race, 14 finished. And, not only did they finish, they reached the finish line much earlier than the “first in” estimation time. It also meant a much tighter race with even the two lead teams frequently changing positions throughout the race. And, for those of us at the finish line, it meant a thrilling end to the 2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.
A True Race to the Finish Line
Throughout the entire race, two teams seemed to be fighting for first place. Right until the last leg of the race, Keith Aili and 2022’s first-place finisher Ryan Anderson were neck in neck. In fact, due to issues with the tracking system, those standing at the finish line weren’t exactly sure who would cross first. The trackers showed Ryan Anderson had a small lead on Keith Aili. However, those further up the course were reporting that it was Keith Aili who was in the lead. We did not truly know who was going to take first place until they came around the corner.
It was Keith Aili and his team who would be crowned the winners of the 2023 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon!
Keith’s team came running in at about 3:00 pm, an hour and a half earlier than Ryan Anderson’s finishing time in 2022. It was a real display to how the right weather can drastically change teams’ speeds.
However, second place finisher Ryan Anderson was not far behind, at all. Coming in just 8 minutes later. Even the third place finisher, Sarah Keefer, was not far behind, arriving at 3:41 pm.
A Dramatic Finish for Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Place
It turns out, the real highlight of the evening wasn’t who won, it was the dramatic three-way fight for fourth place! As many onlookers and media teams packed up and left after Sarah Keefer’s finish, the race was far from over. And, again, due to issues with the tracking system not working well on the course, many of us had no idea what was about to come.
Another duo of teams that seemed to change positions frequently on the course were Matthew Schmidt and Nick Vigilante. As the two neared the finish line, their trackers showed them being near each other, but not nearly as close as they ended up being.
The crowd started to gather at the finish line at around 4:00 pm to welcome in the fourth place finisher. Around the corner of the lodge comes Grand Marais’ own Matthew Schmidt, finishing the race at 4:05 pm (and 29 seconds, which in this case is important). As Matthew started doing his finishing line routine where mushers give love to their dogs and pose for media photos, someone in the crowd shouted out “incoming!”. Before we knew it, Nick Vigilante crossed the finish line. Taking fifth place at 4:06 pm and 18 seconds. Yes, less than a minute after Matthew Schmidt!
Not to be outdone, just as Matthew’s and Nick’s teams cleared the run, in comes sixth place finisher Jesse Terry. Jesse arrived at the finish line at 4:09 pm, almost exactly 3 minutes after Nick Vigilante. Jesse’s arrival was a bit of a surprise as his tracker still had him being about a half mile down the course when Matthew crossed, leading us to believe we had a little bit of time before Jesse finished. The three races finishing within four minutes of each other led to quite an exciting time at the finish line.
A Mother and Son Duo Battle It Out
In recent years, the race has seen a few competing duos of husbands and wives, siblings, and even parent and child teams competing against each other. In past years, husband and wife Blake and Jennifer Freking have raced teams in the same years. Including taking first place (Blake) and second place (Jennifer) in the 2019 race. In 2022, both Freking teams scratched and in 2023 Blake decided not to race as he was preparing for the Iditarod. Jennifer finished in eleventh place.
Another set of teams we followed closely in 2022 and again in 2023 were mother and son Colleen and Ero Wallin. Colleen Wallin is a long-time John Beargrease musher, having not missed a year since website records are available going back to 2014. In 2021, a young Ero Wallin entered the race to compete against his mother. That year, Ero was the victor among the duo, coming in sixth place while Colleen took tenth.
In 2022, their second year racing against each other, Colleen beat out Ero, coming in at third place just three minutes and two seconds before Ero, who took fourth place. We captured the moment Ero crossed and was greeted by his mom who was still in the run at the finish line. In 2023, they didn’t finish quite as close to one other as the previous year. Ero again was the winner in this family battle. He finished in eighth place while Colleen finished in tenth place about 45 minutes later.
Congratulations, Mushers!
Even though there can only be one winner, Keith Aili this year, every musher and team can be proud. The 300-mile John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is not an easy race. Mushers endured sub-zero temperatures and an exhausting two-and-a-half-day journey through Minnesota’s Northwoods. Every team who took on the challenge has accomplished more than most of us ever will. Congratulations!
Learn More and Listen In
You can learn more about the John Beargrease Sled Dog marathon on our website or the race’s official website. Jaye and Martha were at both the Trail Center checkpoint and the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino finish line to bring you the action. Listen in on the Exploring the North Shore podcast.
Trail Center Checkpoint:
Grand Portage Lodge and Casino Finish Line: