New cross country ski ultra marathon along North Shore planned for March

A new ultra race is coming to the North Shore. The Ski North Ultra, an up to 100k cross country ski event, is scheduled for March 8. The 12 hour race will also offer 22k and 46k route options.

Race Director Allie Rykken told WTIP that she was inspired to put the race together after skiing several of the trail systems on the North Shore in 2022. The routes for the race use the Cascade River State Park trails, the North Pine trail system, and the Balley Creek  trail system. She said, “It’s amazing to have all these trail systems that are are connected and I’m really excited to pull together such an extensive course.”

Rykken works in event planning and is an endurance athlete herself. She said that there is a general trend in more athletes showing interest in endurance events. “If I don’t want to go faster in a shorter distance,” she said, “let’s challenge ourselves with a longer, full day adventure and just moving into, like, the experience of being out outside on the trails all day and and how that feels.”

With the race two months away, Rykken said that nearly 50 skiers have registered, and that she is hopeful that there will be more as the race approaches. She said, “I was originally hoping for 100 just to kind of break even on my budget, but I actually feel like we’re probably gonna get closer to 150 if I’m being again, optimistic.”

One reason that some potential participants may be holding off on registering is the uncertainty of snow conditions this year. Over the past few weeks the lack of snow has led the organizers of two major sled dog races, the Gunflint Mail Run and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, to postpone races from their usual January dates.

As far as snow goes, some parts of the ski race route have snow currently, though Rykken said that an additional foot of snow in the region would ensure better trail conditions. She is staying optimistic, however, and said, “I am hopeful for, you know, early March. I feel like that’s just the best time of year to go skiing. There’s often a lot of snow, blue skies, some warmer temps, with the sun coming back toward us.”

More information about the race can be found on the event website. Rykken also encouraged those with questions about participating or volunteering to contact her through the website.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke to Ski North Ultra Race Director Allie Rykken about the new endurance race she is planning for March. Audio of that conversation can be found below.

Kirsten Wisniewski January 9, 2025