The 40th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is really on as teams make their way through the first third of the race.

For the first 38 miles from Two Harbors to Finland, marathon mushers could have between 6-8 dogs in harness. Leaving Finland, they could take a full team of 12 for the rest of the 267-mile race.

Of the 15 mushers, 10 opted to go with eight dogs, one went with seven, and four left Two Harbors with six. Mary Englund and Colleen Wallin used the option to have a second sled with a second person behind it for at least the first 7 miles.

Shawn McCarty was the musher representative on the Beargrease’s Board of Directors, and he said at the first checkpoint in Finland that the rule change seemed like the right call.

“The first 10 miles was pretty bony, and there were some icy spots. You’d have had a hard time hooking down and holding 12 dogs back,” McCarty said. “But then after that, the trail, it’s gotten progressively better.”

He expected teams to really settle in to the race to Grand Portage upon leaving Finland for the second checkpoint, Sawbill.

“It always feels like it really starts after the first checkpoint anyways,” McCarty said. “It will feel like that more now, I think.”

The Beargrease is expected to finish sometime Tuesday morning or early afternoon in Grand Portage.