Iditarod Musher Wade Marrs Visits St. Francis School in Brainerd

Wade Marrs, a dog sled musher who has placed 4th in the Iditarod sled dog race, made a surprise visit last week to St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School in Brainerd.

The annual Iditarod competition is a 938-mile dog sled race that runs from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. The race can attract over 100 participants known as mushers.

Previously, St. Francis students read about the story of how kids in Alaska were saved because serum was dog sledded to them during a diphtheria epidemic, and how that inspired the Iditarod. Later, they had a chance to know about the race by picking a musher to cheer on during their journey to the finish line, and Wade Marrs is now one of those mushers that they’ve had the privilege of meeting in person.

Marrs, who’s no stranger to the competition, came in 4th in the Iditarod but has done quite well in other races.

“I finished all three of the races last year – Beargrease, UP 200, and Can-Am 250 – in second place,” said Marrs.

To keep himself waterproof and well-heated during races, Marrs will wear specific clothing like seal mittens, seal hats, and synthetically filled parkas that also have a big fur ruff around the hood that blocks the wind out of his face. While running the long race, there are chances to take showers, but Marrs says it’s highly recommended not to do so.

“If we shower, it washes off the natural oils that build up on our skin, so we try to keep those on,” said Marrs. “It really helps a lot with insulation and keeping warm out on the trail, so if you shower and wash that off, you automatically start freezing.”

And for those wondering if dogs really like the long haul race, Marrs says the animals involved really love it, and that they enjoy seeing what’s around the next corner.