Ely Marathon Explained

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Date:September 21, 2024
Location:Ely, Minnesota
Event Type:Paved Road
Distance:26.2 miles
Est:2015
Record:Men: 2:47:25 (2016)
Nathaniel Langlie
Women: 3:00:41 (2016)
Auralee Strege
Men's Portage: 4:23:20 (2021)
Anthony Peter (World Record)
Woman's Portage: 6:49:29
Auralee Strege (World Record)
Homepage:elymarathon.com
Participants:100

The Ely Marathon is a race in Ely, Minnesota, first run in 2015.[1] After successfully adding a sanctioned canoe portager category in the half marathon, the category was added to the marathon in 2018. In the canoe portage, runners can compete with the others who carry a canoe over their heads, deeming the race "the 8,390 rod portage".[2] It is the only marathon portage in the world, so the first finisher in 2018 set a world record.[3] The record was broken in 2019 by more than 23 minutes,[4] then broken again in 2021 by more than 36 minutes.[5] In 2016, Daniel Drehmel ran the marathon with his partner, Abby Dare, and the two of them took turns carrying the canoe in order to raise awareness about the potential threats to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The race is run in September, and 97 runners finished in 2018.[6] The course begins deep in the woods at Camp Du Nord, the north side of Burntside Lake, and finishes in Ely. Racers must be shuttled there, as there is not enough room for parking and camping near the starting line.[7]

In March and April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellations of all the major marathons around the world, the Ely Marathon staff hoped the marathon would go on as planned. They worked on ways to run the races while protecting the health of the runners and held the September start date.

On July 10, they cancelled all races for 2020, and announced that all registrations could roll into the 2021 races. Only the 5K would have a virtual race. A press release said that state officials "set the maximum participants in outdoor races to 25 people. That includes all racers, staff, volunteers and spectators."[8]

Winners

Key:

Year
CategoryMenWomen
2023 Results Sept. 23, 2023[9]
Open Hudson Kingston 40 2:55:51 Crystal Culhane 44 3:26:51
Masters Hudson Kingston 40 bgcolor=#A9F5A9 2:55:51 Crystal Culhane 44 3:26:51
Portage Jacob Bendel 32 4:36:42
2022 Results Sept. 24, 2022[10]
Open Robert Henderson 38 2:57:06 Sorcha Ash 22 3:35:07
Masters Andy MacNamara 41 3:15:15 Linda Belanger 55 4:01:29
Portage Sunshine Gardner 28 4:45:45
2021 Results Sept. 25, 2021[11]
Open Andrew MacNamara 40 3:09:02 Lisa Smith 39 3:10:46
Masters Andrew MacNamara 40 3:09:02 Sarah Anderson 44 3:49:14
Portage Anthony Peter 41 bgcolor=#FFDF00 4:23:20
2020 Results Sept. 27, 2020
Race cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Results Sept. 21, 2019[12]
Open Andrew MacNamara 38 2:52:13 Stacy Torkelson 37 3:44:30
Masters Jeff Curtin 55 3:20:58 Jess Sedivy Gunderson 41 3:56:31
Portage Anthony Peter 39 5:00:01 Auralee Strege 30 6:49:29
2018 Results Sept. 22, 2018[13]
Open Russell Groebner 49 3:13:49 Shaelin Lekatz 21 3:43:37
Masters Russell Groebner 49 3:13:49 Kristin Hettich 45 3:51:00
Portage Daniel Drehmel 31 5:23:48
2017 Results Sept. 23, 2017[14]
Open Hudson Kingston 34 2:59:01 Kathy Provenzano 43 3:33:36
Masters Kelly Ecklund 53 3:13:49 Kathy Provenzano 43 3:33:36
2016 Results Sept. 24, 2016[15]
Open Nathaniel Langlie 18 2:47:25 Auralee Strege 27 bgcolor=#A9F5A9 3:00:41
Masters Chad Shilson 45 3:13:49 Debra Hultman 55 bgcolor=#A9F5A9 3:24:35
2015 Results Sept. 26, 2015[16]
Open Declan Curley 48 2:56:55 Rebecca Peterson 43 3:35:47
Masters Declan Curley 48 2:56:55 Rebecca Peterson 43 3:35:47

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ely Marathon braces for growth - The Ely Echo. www.elyecho.com.
  2. News: Most Minnesotan race ever? A canoe portaging division in Ely half-marathon. Louwagie. Pam. September 21, 2017. Star Tribune. April 12, 2019. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  3. News: Land of 10,000 Stories: Ely hosts first-in-the-world canoe portaging marathon. Huppert. Boyd. October 1, 2018. KARE-11. April 15, 2019. TEGNA. NBC affiliate. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  4. News: Vandervort . Keith . Weather can't compete with 2019 Ely Marathon . 25 April 2020 . The Timberjay . 25 September 2019 . Ely, Minnesota.
  5. Web site: Vandervort . Keith . September 29, 2021 . Canoe portager shatters own record . June 5, 2024 . The Timberjay.
  6. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon Weekend - ITS YOUR RACE. elymarathon.itsyourrace.com.
  7. Web site: Ely Marathon-Marathon-Half Marathon-Ely, MN. endoftheroadmarathon.
  8. News: Ely Marathon stopped in its tracks. Vandervort. Keith . 10 July 2020. The Timberjay. Tower, Minnesota. 16 July 2020.
  9. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon Weekend. September 23, 2023. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. June 5, 2024.
  10. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon Weekend. September 24, 2022. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. June 5, 2024.
  11. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon Weekend. September 25, 2021. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. June 5, 2024.
  12. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon Weekend. September 21, 2019. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. September 21, 2019.
  13. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon. September 22, 2018. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. April 12, 2019.
  14. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon. September 23, 2017. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. April 12, 2019.
  15. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon. September 24, 2016. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. April 12, 2019.
  16. Web site: Race Results - Ely Marathon. September 26, 2015. It's Your Race. Innovative Timing Systems, LLC. April 12, 2019.

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