Mariana Grohowski on her way to a 10th place finish in the 50k race as part of the Keweenaw Ultramarathon Club races Saturday on the Tech Trails. (Tryg Solberg/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech’s student-run Keweenaw Ultramarathon Club hosted their second annual 25k and 50k races on Saturday, Nov. 4. There were 30 starters in the 50k and 50 starters in the 25k race.

The race started near the Nordic Waxing Center off Sharon Avenue and took participants on singletrack and Nordic ski trails between the upper trails and the Nara Nature Center.

The 50k race started in the dark and had participants finishing throughout the day. Sawyer Fowler, of Lowell, placed first with a time of 4:06:51. Mia Ruboca, of Wheaton, Illinois, was the first female 50k finisher with a time of 5:18:32.

The 25k race started 30 minutes after and had Kristen Monahan, of Houghton, winning the overall and female categories with a time of 2:01:14. Jordan Bussey, of Houghton, was the men’s leader with a time of 2:07:55.

The Keweenaw Ultramarathon club is a student organization with a goal of promoting the ultra endurance community. With intimidating and expensive races, they offer a great place for students and community members to get started in the sport. The club was started in the spring of 2022, they have met every Tuesday to start a run from campus.

Most of the club’s funding comes from $15 club dues and registration for these races. Most of the funding goes to reimbursement for costly external ultramarathon events. With registration often approaching or exceeding $200 for bigger ultrarunning events, the club can reduce the barriers to entry.

They also host some events with food for club members and are hoping to plan some training weekends that could allow them to explore some new trails. Increasing the size of the races is a goal for next year and they plan to host similar races on the same weekend in 2024.

If you are interested in joining the club, you can join their run on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Tech Trails at 5 p.m. You can also email ultramarathon@mtu.edu with any questions or if you are interested in supporting the club.

Local businesses that sponsored the event were crucial to its success and they included Copper Country Running Company, Rhythm Bike and Board Co., Down Wind Sports, Copper Shores Community Health Foundation, Keweenaw Coffee Works and Cross Country Sports. The coordination and help from the Tech Trails and club volunteers also made the race possible. They cleared the course of leaves and marked it well for an easily navigable 25k loop.