This run across Minnesota was a self-supported journey that I'll never forget. The self-supported nature added additional challenges, solitude, and meaning that I could have never foreseen. I commenced on November 1, 2025 at 1:33pm CST and finished on November 6, 2025 at 9:44am CST.
There were small and immense highs and lows along the way. I saw two separate black bears along the Soo Line, right beside the trail, in the darkness of the first two respective nights. Weather was decent during the day, cold during the nights, and windy throughout. The only precipitation was a light, misty rain on the second night.
This route can likely be done more quickly with better planning and/or done in a different season. Days were short and nights long in early November. I also lost out on an extra hour of sleep this year when the clocks turned back.
For sleep, I stayed at the following motels/hotels:
- McQuoid's Inn (Isle, MN)
- The Hillbilly Haven (Pierz, MN)
- Super 8 Motel (Melrose, MN)
- Arrowwood Resort (Alexandria, MN)
- Comfort Inn (Fergus Falls, MN)
For nutrition and hydration, I did not do any caching. I re-supplied at the following gas stations and grocery stores:
- Holiday Gas Station (Moose Lake, MN)
- McQuoid’s Inn (MoteI Breakfast; Isle, MN)
- Morning Star Market (Wahkon, MN)
- Pierz Foods (Pierz, MN)
- Bowlus Gas & Grocery (Bowlus, MN)
- Kwik Trip (Melrose, MN)
- Super 8 Motel (Motel Breakfast, MN)
- Coborn's Grocery (Melrose, MN)
- Dollar General (Osakis, MN)
- Thrifty White Pharmacy (Alexandria, MN)
- Arrowwood Resort (Hotel Dinner; Alexandria, MN)
- Cenex (Garfield, MN)
- Hiway Amoco Gas Station (Evansville, MN)
- JC's Grocery Store (Ashby)
- Cenex (Fergus Falls, MN)
I charged my devices with a portable battery pack that I brought with me or at the motels/hotels I stayed at. I ran with a 20L Salomon pack, a 2L bladder and 2x500 mL soft flasks. I ran with a bear bell at night and had a bear horn with me as well. Milky Way candy bars and chocolate milk were go-to favorites. I kept in touch with my family only via cell phone calls and texts.
If you're interested in a full, thorough race report, please refer to my Substack postings for this run starting here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/theevensplit/p/run-across-minnesota-getti…