Runners from across the Iron Range and beyond will experience a new level of high-quality racing beginning this summer thanks to a new “Race in a Box” project developed by Range Runners Running Club. 

“Race in a Box” is an 8 ½-foot by 20-foot trailer stuffed with the latest technology and equipment required to conduct a first-class running event. 

“Race in a Box” makes its debut at Saturday’s 8 a.m. Red Ore Run & Taconite Trot in Hibbing.

More than 500 runners are expected to participate in the Red Ore Run 10K run, 5K run/walk and a 1K Taconite Trot.

“This is going to boost running on the Iron Range,” said Brian St. George, president of the 65-member club. “We’re going from a guy standing at the starting line with a starting gun to professionally timed races. We’ll see a lot more quality races.”

Five Iron Range running groups, which have annually held races in Hibbing, Chisholm, Hoyt Lakes, and Virginia, joined together to support “Race in a Box.”

Equipped with a chip-based electronic timing system, a start-finish line arch, signs, barricades, cones, generator, and other running gear, “Race in a Box” will be used at all five Iron Range running events this summer.

“We all had a few race items, and we got together and said ‘if we can all get along and store it in one place,’ it would be great,” said St. George. “At first we threw around the idea of renting a storage unit, but then we came up with the idea of a trailer.”

Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation supported the project with a Culture & Tourism grant.

The portability of “Race in a Box” allows it to be used at races anywhere, said St. George. 

“When we started our club four years ago, it was a shock to us that there were that many people on the Range who wanted to run,” said St. George. “The whole point (of Race in a Box) is enhancing running on the Iron Range, but if our schedule is open and it brings money into the club, our committee is open to talking with other running events about the use of it at other races.”

Proceeds from using “Race in a Box” at additional events will all be reinvested into additional equipment for the trailer.   

Range Runners Running Club hopes the portable system will bring more runners and even larger running events to the Iron Range.

And, “Race in a Box” has also already drawn interest from two Iron Range high school cross country teams to provide high-tech timing at meets, said St. George.

For additional information contact St. George at members@rangerunners.org.