Carlton Daze is ready, set, run!

It was run, run, run during the annual Carlton Daze celebration.

The weekend kicked off with children's races and the 27th annual 5K race Friday night, followed the next morning by the Minnesota Voyageur Ultramarathon.

On Friday former Esko runner Sean Gaskell blazed his way to an impressive win by running a blistering time of 16:56 on a night with temperatures well into the 80s. The 30-year-old pulled out to the lead early in the race and won handily, while 47-year-old Barry Fischer was second with a time of 18:10. Former Duluth Denfeld athlete, Louie St. George, was third in a time of 19:10.

The women's 5K overall winner was Anne Hyopponen, who ran the 5K in a time of 22:18 which was just 24 seconds faster than Amber Despot and 32 seconds faster than Emaleigh Olesiak.

In the boys 13-19 age group, Jeremiah Foucault narrowly beat Trent Bagne. The girls under-12 age division winner was Olesiak and the 13-19 age winner was Annika Voss.

In the men's 20-29 age group it was Zach Jasken taking the win, while Gaskell and Fischer each won their respective age groups, 30-39 and 40-49. The women's 20-29 winner was Sarah Aili and the winner of the 30-39 age division was Hyopponen. The women's 40-49 age division winner was Amber Despot, and the winner of the 50-59 age group was Yoshiko Wood. In the 60-69 age group the winner was Susan Janssen with Vickie Reisnouer.

Joe Fournier won the men's 50-59 age group.

The winner of the men's 60-69 age group was Randy Wiinanen and Bruce Paulson won the 70-plus age division.

Walking winners included the following:

Duluth's Herb Dillon, 71, blew away the field in the men's open division in walking and the women's winner was Kendra Fameree. Shaun Sheff won the men's 30-39 division and Francis Heid was the men's 60-69 age division winner. On the women's side it was Emma Johnson winning the 13-19 age division, Lori Olson capturing first in the 40-49 age group, Femeree won the 30-39 year age division and Maijaliisa Korpela was first in the 50-59 age group. Deb Klejeski was the women's 60-69 winner and it was Gloria Nelson taking first in the 70-plus age group.

Saturday morning, nearly ideal conditions greeted runners of the ultramarathon, many of whom would be on the course for 10 hours or more. Read more about the Voyageur and the Cloquet grad who won it on Page 14.