Nestled along the Montreal River in northernmost Wisconsin, along the border with Michigan and just across the river from the nearby city of Ironwood, Mich., this tiny town of just over 1,500 souls plays host every year to Wisconsin’s oldest marathon, which got its start back in the summer of 1969 and has been running strong ever since. Welcome to the Paavo Nurmi Marathon and Half Marathon.
Named for the famed Finnish runner who won nine gold medals (and three silver medals) in the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics, the Paavo Nurmi race is a reflection of the Finnish and northern European heritage of this outpost just north of the Gile Flowage, a 3,100-acre lake near the community of Gile and not far from Hurley, where runners will cross the finish line in both the half marathon and the full marathon.
