"Well, I've ran the race different than everyone else. I've wanted to give my dogs some good rest on the way back," Ryan Redington said during the 2017 race. 

Back then, it was an almost 400-mile race. Teams went up the Shore to Grand Portage, then turned around and came back to Duluth. 

Redington's fast start didn't pay off in 2017. But he learned the lesson and won the race in 2018 and 2020. So he's excited for 2021. 

"It's a dog race. Anything could happen, but I'm here to try to do the best we can and try to repeat," he said. 

There was no question about whether he'd be back. 

"It's a great race. Great competitors, great volunteers," Redington said. "We love everything about the Beargrease."

Nowadays, he splits his time between Alaska and Wisconsin. He was down in the Lower 48 by October this year and will head back to Alaska the day after the Beargrease.

"Warm October, but we finally got some snow. Not a lot of snow, but enough, and we got good miles," he said, "and I feel really confident on what our training has been for the Beargrease." 

The week before the race, he's stuck to running the dogs in front of a snowmobile since it's safer for him. But looking ahead to when he'll step on the sled for the 2021 marathon, Redington said he'll miss the crowds at the start. 

"I have so many fans that come and cheer us on, especially the kids from Secret Forest Play School," he said. 

Some fans also follow the race and greet him at checkpoints. But at the end of the day, the race is really all about the dogs. 

"No matter what, we're going to have a lot of fun at Beargrease."

No spectators are allowed at any point along the race. WDIO will stream the start live at 9 a.m. Sunday and provide updates along the trail. There will be a live race tracker at WDIO.com/johnbeargrease.

To see the original report and read related reporting, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/news/ryan-redington-beargrease-sled-dog-marathon/5993871/?cat=10335