Some racers covered the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon in northern Minnesota in record time this week.
The race, which started Monday morning and runs from International Falls to Tower, is known for its harsh winter conditions. Last year, cyclists, runners and skiers dealt with 50-below-zero windchills, but this year the weather was unusually mild.
Todd McFadden, 50, of Duluth was the first Minnesotan bicyclist, finishing fourth in 15 hours, 4 seconds. Winner Jorden Wakeley, 27, of Grayling, Mich., won in 15 hours.
Runner Marcus Berggren, 40, of Ljusdal, Sweden, finished in 34 hours, 20 minutes, beating the previous record by almost three hours. Steven Bailey, 35, of Afton was the fastest Minnesota runner, finishing fourth in 39:15. Sue Lucas, 50, of Dauphin, Manitoba, set a new women's mark in the run. Her time of 42:31 beat the previous record by 5½ hours.
Steve Schuder, 52, of Duluth was the first ski finisher at 34:51.
Of the 154 who started the race, 124 completed it.
U women on roll
The No. 2 Gophers women's hockey will take a 17-game unbeaten streak into its home series against Ohio State this weekend at Ridder Arena.
Minnesota (23-1-3, 16-1-3-1) can clinch home ice for the WCHA playoffs with one victory. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Ohio State (14-10-2, 9-9-2-1) lost to the Gophers 4-2 and 5-3 in Columbus, Ohio, in November.
