GRAND PORTAGE, MN. (KBJR) – On the morning after the 38th John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, everyone came together to hand out awards and share stories from along the trail.
For mother and son mushers Ero and Colleen Wallin, while they didn’t win this race, their close finish was one to remember.
Ero was trailing behind his mom on the last leg of the race, closing the gap as they got closer to the finish.
“The last road crossing I get to, I asked the volunteers how far ahead of me she was, and they’re like ‘30 seconds,’ and I was like ‘good lord this is gonna be fun,” said Ero.
“People said, ‘would you let him pass? and I’m like no, I wouldn’t let him pass,” said Colleen. “And when he was five, I wouldn’t let him win at candy land either.”
In the end, Colleen took home 3rd place, beating her son to the finish by less than 30 seconds and was the first to congratulate him on a race well done.
“It’s just the best feeling ever. Round the corner, people are going crazy; she’s there. It’s just unreal,” said Ero.
“It was very emotional,” said Colleen. “These dogs that we have trained, you know, there’s that type of emotion, and then there’s your kid who just did what you did. I saw every step of the way, every inch of the trail that he did, and it’s a pretty awesome accomplishment when you think about him doing it.”
Last year, Ero was the youngest person to race in the Beargrease at 18-years-old and finished in 6th place.
He credits his love for racing to his family.
“It’s awesome, you know? Her and my dad were the ones who got in it. Obviously, we do training runs together, but now we’re on a race that’s competitive. It’s a pretty special feeling,” said Ero.
For now, it’s back home to Two Harbors until next season, where they will be back out on the trails once again.
Ero is on a break from school at St. Cloud State, where he also plays D2 baseball.
He and his mom were just two of the 10 teams who crossed the finish line in Grand Portage.
14 teams scratched along the way, mostly due to warm weather impacting the trails and their dog teams.
Ryan Anderson won the race claiming his 4th Beargrease marathon title.
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