Though the Brimson Sisu seemed to sneak up on us this year, Dad had been preparing to run the local annual race for months. Mom and me? Not as much, but we were ready to give it a shot as walkers. The rotating event venue placed us at Camp House this year, and as close as it was to home, I hadn’t ever visited the campgrounds before. It felt a little strange pulling into a place that had always been nearby but never part of my routine, like discovering a pocket of Brimson I knew existed but didn’t adventure to visit until the Sisu nudged me toward it.
Even in the gray, dismal morning, pulling into the makeshift parking lot (helpfully guided by kind volunteers), I was taken aback by the beauty of the cabins on the lake tucked in the woods of Brimson. The place had that quiet, steady charm that shows up even when the sky refuses to brighten. People were arriving with their kids, their dogs, their families, and their friends, settling in with the easy energy of a community gathering. Some were there to run, some to walk, some just to cheer, but everyone shared the same purpose of supporting the Brimson Area Volunteer Fire Department.
We found our bibs, again guided by friendly and well-organized volunteers, and got them pinned (mine on my 2023 Brimson Sisu T-shirt). There was that familiar pre-race shuffle happening around us, people adjusting pins and stretching and trying to decide whether they needed one more sip of water before heading out. We weren’t in any rush, so we drifted toward the trailhead, taking in the scene and trying to get a sense of where exactly this 4.4 miles was about to lead us.
I admit I was nervous for my dad when I learned the beginning of the track was a little rough for runners. It’s one thing to hear “roots and rocks” and another to picture him trying to navigate all of it at speed.
The organizers had clearly thought about that, though, and took special care to mark each potential tripping hazard with blaze orange paint. Roots and rocks in orange dotted the trail, bright enough to catch your eye even in the overcast morning, and it gave the whole path a kind of guided feeling, like the woods were pointing out where to step and where to be careful.
It was helpful for us walkers as well, and Mom and I absorbed the scenery and chit-chatted as we made our way through the woods. The trail opened up in that quiet, steady way northern Minnesota does, giving us time to notice things we might have missed if we were rushing too quickly.
I saw some birch beginning to turn, just the faintest shift in color, a reminder that we are in the final throws of summer. It felt like a small gift to be out there on a Saturday morning, rain looming or not, moving through the trees with nothing to do but walk and look and talk.
I needn’t have worried about dear old dad, nor the rain, though later he did let us know that he felt a bit “gassed” after the first leg of the race. He finished 38th, despite at one point going the wrong way on the trail. A very nice man went after him to get him turned around, and we are grateful for whoever that was.
It fit the spirit of the morning: people looking out for one another in small ways that mattered, the kind of help that shows up without being asked.
That is the vibe of the Brimson Sisu. Everyone is happy to help, happy you’re there, happy to see people finish the race in whatever place they find themselves in.
Over 200 participants signed up this year, which is a long way from the fifty or so who showed up in 1983 when Kathleen Anderson and Jim Gruba organized the first Sisu because they didn’t want to drive far for races. The event has grown and shifted over the decades, but that original spirit of neighbors gathering in the woods for a good cause has stayed right where it started.
This year marked a change behind the scenes. After years of leadership from Bill Zwak, the SISU was handed over to new organizer Jake Hall. He ran the awards with a mix of humor and honesty, stepping into the role without pretending he’d been doing it forever.
At one point he told the crowd, “We’re going through a bit of a transition here. This is my first year running the show.”
He kept things moving, calling out winners, laughing with the crowd, and making sure medals found their way to the right hands.
Finn Duncan, a 17-year-old from Evergreen, Colorado, took 1st in the race. Kristi Nixon took home a plaque for first female runner over the line. Second- and third-place medals for the men went to Karl Nelson and Mason Duncan, and for the women to Amanda Van Kilsdonk and Chloe Green. Age group winners included Andrew Green, Finn Duncan, Magnus O’Connor, Kristi Nixon, Mason Duncan, and Stephen Sikkink.
Florida and California tied for farthest traveled. There was a medal for the first 100 percent Finnish finisher and the youngest finisher who arrived in a stroller. The oldest Brimson Sisu-themed T-shirt contest ended with someone wearing one from 1984.
As each t-shirt marks the year’s theme, these t-shirts are precious collector’s items. My ’23 shirt sported the Year of the Osprey. This year, the Year of the Tamarack was celebrated.
Jake thanked some of the volunteers and sponsors who helped make the event possible. Foundation Awards donated five hundred dollars to the fire department. North Star Cannabis and Sonju of Two Harbors contributed as well, and Carl’s Wheelhouse crafted the medals and plaques. Jake also recognized Gretchen, the director of Camp House, for hosting the event and keeping things running smoothly.
Brimson Area Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Freyholtz was recognized for his efforts in volunteering for the event as well.
“I want to recognize Randy. He’s our fire chief,” said Jake. “He doesn’t have to volunteer for this fundraiser, but he chooses to, and he’s really been invaluable. We couldn’t have made this thing happen without him.”
The raffle tables were filled with items donated by local artists and makers, and every ticket purchased went directly to the fire department. People drifted over with their stubs, studying the baskets and handmade pieces, trying to decide where to drop their names. Volunteers were slinging hot dogs and good eats to raise funds and feed those who built up an appetite that morning.
Jake also took a moment to speak directly to the younger people in the crowd. He paused long enough for everyone to realize he wasn’t just moving on to the next award; he had something he wanted to say, something meant for the kids and teenagers standing off to the side with their families.
“What I’d ask for the young people here today, if you live in this area, step up and get involved,” he said. “We have town halls, we have fundraisers like this, we have Brimson Strong. There’s a lot of stuff out here that needs young voices.”
I had a great time at the Brimson Sisu. The trail was beautiful. The walk was lovely. The whole event felt like a reminder that some traditions don’t survive because they’re big or flashy. They survive because people keep showing up, year after year, and decide it matters. There was something steady and reassuring about that: the sense that a simple race in the woods can hold a community together just by giving people a reason to gather.
