Friday, May 16, 2025
Byron Kuster
Editor's Note: Byron Kuster, a long time friend of Michael Koppy’s, drove him to the start in Int’l. Falls and home from Tower! Other than cheering Koppy on, he is not allowed to provide any assistance during the event.
At the end, a video showing the strength & pace of Michael Koppy!
Monday (1/27) 2 p.m. Update: Michael Koppy is maintaining a steady pace of about 18 minutes per mile as he makes his first attempt at completing the Arrowhead 135. At age 74, he will be the oldest person to ever complete this 135-mile event in border country of northern Minnesota.
As of 2 p.m. on Monday (1/27), he has been walked about 23 miles since the 7a.m. start time. At mile 37, he will arrive at the Gateway Store, a small gas station/store, where hot soup will be available to him and the other race participants. He will likely arrive there at around 7 p.m. He expects to eat, rest up a bit, and be back on the trail within a half-hour. Update: At 7:30 p.m., Michael is about to finish his stop at the Gateway General Store as planned, the first of three stations and, at 37 miles, he will be starting out soon overnight for a long trek to the next stop. Although the weather has been warm for January standards, mid-20s, there has been a steady wind. Currently, the wind is calming down and a light snow has started. Whereas the morning was only partly cloudy, at 2 p.m., the sky is 100% overcast. The trail has about 5” of soft snow on it. It is not firm and the walking is a bit difficult. Michael is hoping that cooler temps at night will firm up the trail. Michael has met and chatted with several people on the trail. He was happy to have met one guy in particular, a guy who has been involved with the “Western States 100”, the prestigious ultra-marathon that Michael will be participating in in late June 2025. He has a wealth of information and was able to answer all of Michael’s questions. Michael is running both events in support of “The Y” (YMCA) The Y provides kids, including those from low-income families, with many opportunities to participate in activities that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. The Y also has a food distribution program for kids and low income households. The Y is much more than a pool and a gym! Please consider making a donation of any amount by going to:
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