Idaho's Jay Petervary won the grueling Arrowhead 135 endurance race from International Falls to Tower on Monday night in near-record time.
Petervary, riding a bike in the 135-mile race that's also open to runners and cross-country skiers, reached the finish line at Fortune Bay Resort Casino at 8:18 p.m., for a total time of 13 hours and 16 minutes, according to the race website.
That's just one minute off the record of 13:15, set last year by Ted Loosen of Minneapolis; the 2017 event saw a pack of four racers shatter the previous course record of 14:20.
Petervary also won the Arrowhead 135 bike title in 2016 and 2014, and finished fourth last year.
Ben Doom of St. Cloud, also on a bike, was the second competitor to cross the finish line in this year's race, reaching Fortune Bay at 9:14 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
No other competitors were reported to have finished as of 10 p.m. Monday.
A field of 149 competitors - 73 cyclists, 67 runners and nine skiers - began the 14th annual race Monday morning with the temperature at about 10 below zero in International Falls; most remained on the trail Monday night as temperatures fell into the teens below zero.
The cutoff to reach the finish at Fortune Bay Casino is 60 hours, or 7 p.m. Wednesday.
