John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
November 1st - December 27th, 11:59pm EST
Hosted and CACIT Judged by serioussalad, Sponsored by @ifss-th
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Welcome to the longest sledding race in the lower 48 states. Spanning nearly 300 miles, John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon takes you on a scenic journey along the North Shore of Lake Superior.
This event also hosts 40- and 120-mile races for teams looking for smaller adventures.
Weather
Bundle up, because its cold! With over a foot of snow in some spots along the trail, mushers and teams should be prepared for normal winter conditions. Daily highs hover around 38F, with night time lows of -10F or lower. The sky is clear with no chance of fresh snow, but strong winds come and go.
Attire
Mushers (if depicted) are expected to wear warm coats or parkas with visible bib numbers at all times. All dogs must wear an X-back harness with padding around the neck and chest areas. Booties are required for all dogs entering the 400 and 120 classes, and are strongly recommended for all dogs entering the 40 class. Jackets are required for short-haired or single-coated dogs entering the 40 class; jackets are optional for all other classes.
All harnesses are required to have padding around the neck and chest areas.
Events
400 Race
This is a marathon event that covers 293 miles over the course of 3 days. There are 6 checkpoints along the trail, with 4-hour mandatory rests at both the Sawbill and Mineral Center checkpoints. Teams must consist of a minimum of 6 dogs and a maximum of 12. Only northern type dogs will be allowed to enter this class.
120 Race
This is a mid-distance race that covers 114 miles over the course of 24 hours. There are 2 checkpoints along the trail, with 4-hour mandatory rests at both. Teams must consist of a minimum of 5 dogs and a maximum of 8. Only northern type dogs will be allowed to enter this class.
40 Race
This is a short race designed for beginning or recreational mushers to gain experience. It covers 35 miles over the course of roughly 3 hours. There are no checkpoints along this trail and no mandatory rest. Teams must consist of a minimum of 4 dogs and a maximum of 8. All breeds of moderate size, ability, and weather-resistance may enter.
Rules and Regulations
- Entries must be full body with at least a single color background.
- Backgrounds may be reused so long as they were made for this show.
- Reused backgrounds will be docked points.
- No pre-made or reused entries.
- All breeds of moderate size and ability are allowed to enter
- Realistic created breeds are welcome.
- You may enter as many classes as you want
- Dogs may only enter 1 class or event
Judging Rubric
0 - 20: Effort
Compared against the artist's gallery. Entries start with a base of 10pts and gain or lose 1pt for each positive consistency or inconsistency (shading, complexity, details, etc) and gain 2pts for trying something new (even if it doesn't work out very well). Challenging yourself as an artist is valued over technical skill in this section.
0 - 3: Word Count
Entries gain +1pt for every 100 words, up to 300 words.
0 - 2: Handler
Drawing a handler will gain +1pt for partial body, +2 for fullbody.
Entries gain +1pt for each previous title or show entry in a relevant sport, up to 5pts.
0 – 5: Aptitude/RNG
Entries gain +1 point for every dog running in their strongest position and lose -1 point for every dog running in their weakest position, according to their Sledding Aptitude Test results through @ifss-da. If fewer than 5 dogs have an SAT, the remaining points will be rolled through a random number generator.
Total Possible: 35pts // 20pts needed for CACIT
Entries earning fewer than 13pts will be disqualified
Entry Form
Comment on this thread or the DeviantArt Journal to enter
Entry Form:
Team Name:
Dog 1 Ref:
Dog 2 Ref:
Dog 3 Ref:
Dog 4 Ref:
Add more as needed. Min 4, max 12
Class:
Experience: Relevant sports only, max 5
Entry:
NOTE: Please link SATs if results are NOT posted on dogs’ refs