Minnesota > Walker North Country Marathon, Half Marathon
& 10K
Walker, MN
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Date
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Event
Details
The red, orange and yellow-toned hues of the abundant fall leaves are
on display every year at the running of the Walker North Country
Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K, an early-fall road race that
takes runners through the winding hills and backwoods forest lands of
Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest, on a course that isn't for the
"faint of heart," as the race organizers describe -- fewer than five
miles of the course takes place on paved surfaces, which makes for a
challenging race for any runner.
Run on a point-to-point course that starts at the mile 13 marker of the
full marathon (which itself starts and finishes in downtown Walker,
Minn.), the half marathon begins just north of Portage Lake, south of
Walker and just off Highway 371. From there, the course follows a
winding route through the woods and hills of the forest, taking an
eastward tack for the first six miles before turning northward at about
the half-way point in the half marathon course (and the 3/4-point of
the full marathon course).
Along the way, the course takes runners over the "Troll Bridge" just
below Anoway Lake, and finally hits paved roads for the last few miles
of the race when it hits Sixth Lake Road, a stretch of roadway that
runs between the Heartland/Paul Bunyan Trail and a series of lakes on
the way back into town, including Long Lake and Lake May. The second
half of the race features mostly flat and fast terrain, a welcome
respite after the very hilly first half of the race through the forest.
The race finishes at the track and field complex of Walker High School,
and features what has become the famous half-mile climb to the finish,
a stretch of uphill toward the finish line. At the finish line, there
is (weather permitting) a wine and cheese party with music later in the
afternoon for the more than 900 runners and approximately 300
volunteers who come out for the race each year.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located amongst the gorgeous lake country of northern central
Minnesota, the town of Walker (which lies just miles from Leech Lake)
tends to see mild, pleasant weather in the summer and early fall, with
occasionally very cool conditions. In September, area temperatures
average between 66°F and 46°F, while rainfall amounts
average around 2.91 inches for the month.
Fees
$40 if registered by September 1, 2007
$45 after Sept. 1
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2008 running of the Walker North Country
Marathon, register online at Active.com
or print out and mail in by downloading this form.
Website
www.walkernorthcountrymarathon.com
Course Map
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Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Minnesota's Walker North Country Half Marathon or 10K?
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