"Space to move Charity to the right _______________

*****Registration is now full, but we can put people on a waiting list thru Dec. 1, 2009. *******

Check the Blog for the roster.

The 2010 Arrowhead 135 mile event will be held the first Monday of February 1st through Wednesday the 3rd, with pre-race gear check and meetings the Saturday and Sunday prior.

Categories include bike, foot or ski that may be chosen by the participants the day of the race.

The 2009 event took place on a staggered start at 7am Monday on the Arrowhead Trail near International Falls, MN USA aka “Frostbite Falls”.

New this year was a tipi checkpoint at about mile 113 at the Wakemup shelter on top of the last major hill before the final flat swamp crossing. Also notable in 2009--Fortune Bay Casino, operated by the Bois Forte band of Chippewa/Ojibwe, served as the new finish line at Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN.

Highlights-

Temps at the start were about -5F degrees and at night dropped to -34Fdegrees in Tower and probably 5 degrees colder on the trail.

Of 59 starters, 24 finished the Arrowhead in under 60 hours and 1 was disqualified for getting lost and taking a car ride back to the trail.

• 26 bikers started, 15 finished.
• 26 on foot, 8 finished
• 7 skiers, 1 finished.

• First biker, first overall- Terry Brannick, RI Started at 8:30 am Mon. and finished at 5:30am Tues. in 21 hours.
• Charlie Farrow, 2nd bike, 2nd overall, Duluth, MN started at 7:32am and finished together with Brannick at 5:30am Tues. in 21h 58 min.
• First foot, Eric Johnson, Ogden UT, lucky number 13 finished13th overall, left at 7:13am and finished at 6:08am Wed. in 46h 55min for his second finish of 2 attempts.
• First skier, Jeremy Kershaw, left at 7:40am and arrived at 3:14pm Wed. for 21st overall in 55h 34 min.
• Youngest Finisher- Luke Finney, Us Naval Academy, age 20, left at 7:14 and finished 12:41pm Wed. for 4th foot and 19th overall in 53h 27 min. on his first attempt.
• Last Lone Wolf award to Melgeorges checkpoint at 11:50am Tues., Jason Giddings, biker, eventually dropped on trail.
• Last finisher, Tim Roe, started Monday on foot at 7:24 am and completed the Arrowhead at 6:08pm Wed. in 58h 44 min.

Check the Blog for photos, race reports, and more detailed results.

The Arrowhead Winter Ultra is a non-profit human powered ultramarathon on bike, foot or skis, covering 135 miles across the Arrowhead Region of Northern Minnesota from International Falls near the Canadian border to Tower, MN.  The course follows a scenic, hilly, State multi-purpose trail under extreme winter conditions the first Monday of February.

Completing the course is no small feat as winter temperatures in this area of Minnesota have been known to reach a record -60F degrees.  No wonder the locals have dubbed their town the "Icebox of the Nation" and "Frostbite Falls".

There will be one race check point serving hot soup and water at a cabin about the midway point by Elephant Lake near the town of Orr.  Otherwise, racers are fully self-supported with a cutoff time of 60 hours. Each racer is required to carry mandatory food, water and gear as outlined on the rules page to cover the 3 days and 2 nights outdoors. Participants and volunteers must review the Handbook information on winter camping, frostbite and hypothermia before entering the event.

The race will have a few costs for permits, insurance, awards and other incidentals which we will pass on to the racers.  There is no purse; however, every finisher receives a unique Arrowhead trophy.  Every participant receives an Arrowhead t-shirt.  Extra t-shirts can be ordered at the pre-race meeting.  There will be three entry categories- bike, run or ski- that the racer may choose at the start of the race depending upon the trail and weather conditions. In addition, we will track times for fun and posterity in Overall, Men's and Women's categories, as well as the coveted Myrtle the Turtle AKA, the Last Lone Wolf award.

Above all, everyone is expected to enjoy a fun, challenging event!

The Arrowhead 135 Mile Ultramarathon is a founding member of the Badwater World Cup aka the "BAD 135" 135-Miles Worldwide initiative organized by AdventureCORPS, the producers of the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile foot race from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA. These events will join in a series with several new, unique, human-powered races that traverse 135 miles in extreme environments and conditions, including the Brazil 135.