Sault teacher challenges residents to test their grit with new marathon

Sault Ste. Marie -

A Sault College teacher and avid outdoors adventurer is challenging the community to test their grit with his new springtime marathon.

Lawrence Foster will host the first Beaver Freezer Marathon at the Hiawatha Highlands in March, taking competitors through 10 waterways in the area.

Foster said the name was inspired by a Garden River elder who he took his class to see for a day trip.

"He showed us his trap lines, reached in and pulled out a beaver on his line and rolled it in the snow, calling it a beaver freezer," Foster said.

"I was thinking this would be a really fun ski. I'd love to go out with this elder and visit his trap line and ski, snowshoe with him and just explore with him a little bit and it sort of inspired me to go and explore some of the other lakes and streams."

Foster is a two-time Canadian adventure race champion and has organized other events in southern Ontario.

Competitors for the Beaver Freezer will be able to ski, fat bike or run through the course, and can compete by themselves or on a relay team.

"We shouldn't have an issue when it comes to the pandemic, as we're currently working with Algoma Public Health on how to do this," he said.

"As competitors go there, we may have a staggered start, we may have small group starts, our timing system allows us to let people start essentially whenever we want them to."

Sault College, the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Sault Cycling Club are supporting the event, with the city giving out mandatory self-rescue ice tool kits in case someone were to fall through the ice.

The marathon is scheduled for March 6.