The second race of the Copper Country Running Company’s three-part series was held on the Swedetown trails in Calumet this past Saturday. The series began two weeks ago on the Michigan Tech Trails, where around 30 runners participated in a four-mile off-road race. Many of the same runners returned for the Swedetown Shuffle, a five-mile race that offered a more narrow and challenging course. Jonathan Kilpela placed first overall and won the men’s division for the second time, while Moira Hough placed first in the women’s division. Kilpela finished with a time of 36:40, while Hough finished at 43:43.
Race organizer Clayton Sayen described the race as unique since it mostly consisted of single-track racing, which meant running on mountain bike trails. This narrow track made it difficult for runners to pass each other and added to the challenge. Kilpela, in his thirties, enjoyed the difficulty of the race and mentioned that it had been many years since he last ran at Swedetown. Hough, a New Mexico resident teaching at Michigan Tech this fall, also enjoyed the challenge of the race as she is more accustomed to ultra-distance running. Kilpela and Hough both received $25 gift certificates to the Running Company’s downtown Houghton store for their top-place finishes.
Paul Weiss, a participant in the series, praised the challenge and variety offered by the Swedetown Shuffle. As an MTU ROTC instructor familiar with the Tech Trails, he appreciated the different experience provided by the race. Weiss and other runners will have one more opportunity to compete off-road this fall in the Maasto/Churning Rapids Challenge, a 7.5-mile run at the namesake trails in Hancock. The race will take place on Saturday, September 23 at 9 a.m. Sayen mentioned that there are still plenty of registration spots available for interested runners. Additionally, there will be a grand prize awarded to the participant with the highest point total from all three races, as well as prizes for the top five male and female racers.