Frozen Forester bike and run race is on

Not every sports event has been canceled. At 9 a.m. Saturday, July 18, the Frozen Forester Pine Valley Bike and Run is still on at Pine Valley Recreation Area in Cloquet. The event is a fundraiser to help extend the single-track bike trail to 5 miles.

The bike-and-run duathlon is 18.8K, the bike-only is 13.3K, the run-only is 5.5K, while the Family Run is 1.2K, said event director Tim Krohn.

As it is a small event, Krohn said he feels they can run it safely despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic is still infecting people in Minnesota, although at a slower rate. "By social distancing and the fact that it is an outdoor, mostly solitary activity, I think it can still be done safely," he said. "Folks have been using the trails safely all spring and summer."

Originally scheduled for May 8, Krohn postponed it to July in mid-April. He's hoping about 100 people show, which would be a record for one of his "Forester" series of races at Pine Valley. The races most often feature long treks off-trail using compasses, clues and sheer grit, but this particular race is more straightforward and aims to be family- friendly.

"This is the second year for both biking and running, and the third year it has been run by the Frozen Forester, which is me," Krohn said.

The event is not billed as a race, and it will practice social distancing and as well as other safety measures.

"When people arrive we will have them park a car-width between cars, or about 10 feet," Krohn said. Participants will start individually or by family. Riders who can do the jumps will start first. When they complete the first loop, non-jumping riders will start. Participants can time themselves and report to event officials, who will post the results.

Instead of serving pancakes in the chalet, tailgating will be encouraged. Participants are encouraged to bring their own refreshments.

Like Grandma's Marathon and many other races, there is also a virtual option for the races. Participants can do the ride and/or run any place, any time between Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 26. They are also self-timed.

Event coordinators are asking people to register on the Frozen Forester Pine Valley Bike and Run Facebook page. There still may be some event-day registration allowed, but it is not a sure thing due to pandemic restrictions.

"The distances were a bit shorter before the new trail was incorporated into the event," Krohn said of the new 1-mile section of mountain bike trail at Pine Valley. The remaining 1.5 miles will be built in July, making a grand total of 5 miles of bike trails at the popular woodland park.

"I still hope to have this as a grand opening event for the trail with maybe a ribbon cutting, but I have not talked with anybody about that as of yet," Krohn said. He declared a willingness to "go with the flow" in the time of coronavirus.

Watch for further sign-up information at Facebook.com/FrozenForester (or https://bit.ly/2YZpzpu) or in the Pine Knot News newspaper.