Arrowhead 135

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Point-to-point on the Arrowhead State Trail, a wide, groomed natural-surface snowmobile trail that roughly parallels U.S. Highway 53, from Kerry Park Arena in International Falls to Fortune Bay Casino on Lake Vermilion near Tower. Racers choose a mode of travel: bike, ski or foot. The foot division has a traditional category and a kick-sled/push-sled category. Skiers must ski more than 90% of the course to record a ski finish, and anyone may use snowshoes if they carry them to the finish. This record covers the foot division.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Arrowhead State Trail, about 135 miles from International Falls to Lake Vermilion
• Gateway General Store on Highway 53 at mile 35
• MelGeorge's Elephant Lake Resort at mile 70, reached by a signed shortcut across Elephant Lake
• Rocky, rolling hills on the Canadian Shield south of Orr
• Wakemup Hill, about 2 miles past the Embark checkpoint

The trail is wide, groomed and marked at every intersection with brown state trail signs. It is relatively flat between International Falls and the Ash River, through forest and wetland, then becomes rugged and hilly south of Orr, with lakes, exposed rock and large boulders. It crosses many roads near International Falls and south of Orr. Snowmobiles and dog sleds have right of way, and racers must pull to the right to let them pass. Nine trailside shelters with fire pits and outhouses are spaced along the route, the longest gap between them about 23 miles.

The race is held in late January. The organizer says almost every edition has been colder than -20°F; in 2019 racers met air temperatures of -40°F and wind chills of -55°F, and the course page notes lows of -60°F at Tower. Warm years happen too: in 2024 MPR News reported unusually warm weather, rougher trail and a risk of trench foot. Because checkpoints will not dry clothing, managing sweat and moisture is part of the race.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

The Arrowhead 135 has crossed the full length of the Arrowhead State Trail in northern Minnesota each winter since 2005, when 10 racers started, except in 2021, when it was cancelled because of COVID-19. Racers pick bike, skis or foot, and the start is in International Falls, which the organizer calls the coldest city in the lower 48 states. Racers carry a -20°F sleeping bag, a stove and a day of food the whole way. The organizer's statistics show 382 of 826 foot starters finished between 2005 and 2023 (46%), and in the 2019 cold snap only 13 of 67 foot starters made it to Tower. Finishing on bike, skis and foot in three different years earns the Arrowhead a'Trois award.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Foot, men: Jake Hegge, 28:27 (2022).
• Foot, women: Gretchen Metsa, 33:05 (2022), second in the foot division behind Hegge that year.
• Bike: Jordan Wakeley, 11:43 (2019), and Jill Martindale, 16:40 (2017).
• Ski: Grant Halvorson, 20:27 (2025), marked 'new record' in the official results. The organizer's records table still shows the older marks of Dan Campbell (20:57, 2020) and Shalane Frost (20:41, 2022, then the overall ski record).
• Lowest foot finish rate: 2019, when 13 of 67 foot starters finished (19%).

Preparing for a Race Like Arrowhead 135

The fixed-distance race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.

Best Fit

• Runners with a 100-mile finish who can camp safely in deep cold
• Winter racers who want a self-sufficient point-to-point course with few checkpoints
• Racers working toward the Arrowhead a'Trois award for foot, bike and ski finishes

Planning Notes

• Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• Gear checks can happen anywhere on the course, and failures mean time penalties or disqualification
• Every racer must finish with 3,000 calories of food, 8 fl oz of fuel, hand warmers, insulated mittens, photo ID and an insurance card
• A lost or dead satellite tracker brings a time penalty, and the organizer warns that inReach Mini batteries may not last a cold race
• Fast snowmobiles share the trail day and night; flashing red lights front and back must stay on at all times
• No caching of supplies, and nothing can be picked up from family or friends at any point

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist