Local residents and their dogs gathered together to bike, run and skijor together as part of the 3rd annual Rich Crain Classic last weekend. The event was hosted by an organization known as M.U.T.T., which stands for Multi Use Talkeetna Trails. KTNA’s Colleen Love has more:
Rich Crain was a Talkeetna local who was a regular at Denali Nordic Ski Club events, but not usually as a skier. Crain would set up impromptu aid stations, offering food, encouragement and a warming fire for skiers along the trail. But Crain was also an avid skijorer.
Skijoring is a sport where a skier is pulled by one or more dogs along the trail.
The local organization, M.U.T.T. has a mission to inspire more dog owners to get out on the trails and to educate the public about the responsibility of being on trails with dogs. M.U.T.T. Board Member, Ruth Wood, explains:
“A lot of people go out on the trails with dogs and they were often saying, “Well, why can’t we use the ski trails?” And groomed ski trails, when you have set tracks, you really can only be open for skiers. And so we have a lot more trails now. The ski club grooms everything, so everybody’s grateful to the ski club. But what we try to do is help educate people about trails, about having dogs on trails and have fun events, like today.”
Wood describers how this particular event became known as the Rich Crain Classic.
“Rich Crain was a wonderful supporter of trails and he passed away shortly before the first time we ran this race and we decided to name it after him in his honor.”
As the first racer sped off, a warming fire was cackling in the background. M.U.T.T. members were offering cookies in the shape of Crain’s mustache and handing out stickers sporting Crain’s face. All dogs were leashed while individual skijorers launched in timed intervals. Runners, walkers and bikers soon followed on either the 5K or 15 K course.
The Rich Crain Classic is not the only event that M.U.T.T. has planned this year. A Valentine’s Day Race called “Love on the Loops” will take place in just a few weeks. M.U.T.T. also hosts educational classes for dog owners and summer events for paddlers and runners with their pups.
For KTNA, I’m Colleen Love
