On the second Saturday of July each year, Mount Ski Gull, northwest of Brainerd, hosts the Paul Bunyan Extreme 5K. The race is made up of over 20 insane obstacles spread out over a 3.2 mile course covered in hills, mud and challenges! Some of these challenges include water slides, rope swings, mud pits, and more, some being man made, and some by Mother Nature. The course is set up to be a friends and family event, and it is set up to challenge people of all ages. The year’s event was held on July 9th.
Ryan Trout, a 2016 graduate of Staples-Motley High School was this year’s winner. Ryan was a cross country and long distance rubber and pole vaulter for the Cardinal’s athletic team. We won with a time of 26:38, beating his 2015 time of 30:18. Trout said the most challenging portion was the downhill slalom obstacle called the “Alpine Challenge”. He ran early in the morning, and there was dew on the grass, which made it very slippery.
Coming in second place was Stern Rubber’s own Cyris Eagle Tail, with a time of 28:24. Cyris is our molding lead on third shift. He keeps in shape with a lot of running, and he often runs to and from work.
At the end of the event, Pillager Area Fire & Rescue is standing by to rinse away some of the mud.
If you are up to the challenge, come on out next year!
Here is a link to the 2016 results: https://paulbunyanextreme5k.itsyourrace.com/results.aspx?id=3395
Here is a video of the 2015 event: https://youtu.be/u6NX1j5sDWA