You know you’ve been at something for a significant amount of time when you lose all track. When asked how many times she’d participated in the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, Jennifer Freking wasn’t quite sure. “It’s got to be ten [years], but I’d have to sit down and count.”
Freking had just gotten back from a 26-mile training run with the dogs prior to our conversation. “I like to keep them moving,” says Freking of her dogs. “They’re fresh and sassy right now.” Living near Finland, MN, Freking and her family have access to numerous trails, including some that are used for the middle-distance Beargrease race.
Freking herself has finished as a runner-up at Beargrease in the past. Her husband, Blake, has taken home the title. This year, Freking’s daughter will be racing the Beargrease 40 for the first time. “Our twelve-year-old is running... her first forty-miler," says Freking. "She's really looking forward to it."
The 39th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon begins at 10am on Sunday, January 29th. The North 103.3 will be providing live reports throughout the race.