A 1930s postcard of Mt. Baker
For you history buffs out there, here is a cool link to an essay written about the original Mt. Baker Marathon. The race only took place for 3 years, from 1911-1913, because of the dangers of the course. Contestants started the 120-mile race in Bellingham, where they then traveled by car or train to the base of the mountain, ran to the summit and back, then returned to town the same way they started. Though nobody was ever seriously hurt, one racer took a 40-foot crevasse fall, in which he was unhurt but got people thinking that running up the glacier in the dark unroped was probably not a very good idea.
The Ski to Sea race was started in 1972 with somewhat of the same idea as the Mt. Baker Marathon. Today, the Ski to Sea is as big as ever. It is a relay race in which each team member completes one of seven segments: cross country ski, downhill ski, run, road bike, canoe, mountain bike, and kayak. The race covers 82.5 miles, and thousands of people participate each year.
Photos from Ski to Sea 2007:
