One of the area’s most popular winter events is fast approaching and may even get a helping hand from Mother Nature this year.
Ample snow is just another benefit as the annual Fun Run snowmobile event approaches on Saturday, Jan. 31, in the communities of Ely, Babbitt and Tower.
While snowmobiling is at the heart of the event, with proceeds going to support area trails and participants encouraged to ride their sleds between checkpoints in the three towns as well as the event-ending wrap-up and prize giveaway party at Fortune Bay Resort Casino, the Fun Run has also clearly evolved into something bigger.
“We’ve got snow this year number one, but this is an event that most people go by car anyway,” said Jim Zupancich, longtime event co-chairman. “It’s a great fun day for the whole family, for all ages, and a great day to break up the winter.”
The event has been successful even in years when there hasn’t been much snow cover.
With little snow on the ground, more than 1,000 people participated two years and participation topped the 1,000 mark again in 2025.
Organizers expect more of the same this year, including several hundred prizes.
“We’ve got a ton of prizes again from our very generous businesses,” said Zupancich. “At Fortune Bay we’ll be giving away more than 600 prizes.”
The 2026 event will be the 23rd in the history of the Fun Run. It’s become a staple on the area’s winter calendar and is billed as a family fun event.
“It’s going to be the biggest and bestFunRunever,”saidZupancich.
The big draw this year, as in every year with the Fun Run, are the prizes associated with the event.
The list seems to grow every year, both in number and value.
Participants, for either a $25 advance entry or $30 on the day of the event, can increase their opportunities to win prizes by stopping at the Ely, Babbitt and Tower checkpoints.
In addition to the activities during the day, the event concludes with an evening wrap-up party that usually brings several hundred people to Fortune Bay, While all participants are entered into a drawing for $1,000 in cash and numerous other prizes, there will be several hundred prizes given away in all, with participants able to purchase tickets for numerous drawings.
“Come to Fortune Bay and we’ll have some new and different gift tables this year,” said Zupancich.
The event is known for the assortment of prizes given away, including a fan favorite - a year’s supply of toilet paper.
The prize list also includes bigscreen TVs, golf and hotel packages at Fortune Bay, a year’s supply of milk, cheese and bread, Zup’s and Blomberg’s Cenex gift cards and more. Fortune Bay will also be home to several raffle tables with prizes valued in the hundreds of dollars, or even more.
In recent year, prizes for children have been added to the mix including bikes as well as 100 goodie bags stock full of food and other items.
Proceeds from the Fun Run support area snowmobile trails, but the event has evolved in its two decades and now serves as one of the top family-fun events of the winter for the Ely, Babbitt and Tower communities.
“People like the Fun Run event because it’s something fun to do during the winter and the money raised stays right here to benefit our local snowmobile trail system,” said event co-chairperson Nick Wognum.
Zupancich also stressed the local nature of the event.
“All of the money raised stays in our communities,” he said.
Three businesses serve as checkin points but the influx of people usually helps other restaurants and shops in each community.
This year the check-in points are Grand Ely Lodge, Fish Tales Tavern in Babbitt and Good Ol Days in Tower “We have people out looking for door prizes right now and if your business would like to donate get a hold of me or Nick or drop off prizes at the Ely Echo or Zup’s,” said Zupancich. “We want to thank everyone for being so generous in the past, and the many volunteers we have as well..”
At Fortune Bay, the hotel is almost always sold out during Fun Run weekend with hundreds of others coming to the casino for the wrap-up party.
The event takes place throughout the day and festivities at Fortune Bay usually begin around 7:30 p.m. with the announcement of hundreds of door prize winners.
“We’ll start giving away prizes at 7:30 and we’re usually done by about 10:30 (p.m.),” said Zupancich.
The event has also provided a mid-winter economic boom and perhaps most importantly, a lot of fun.
Those wishing to take part in the Fun Run may sign up online at www.snowmobilefunrun.com. Registration forms are also available at Zup’s in Ely and Blomberg’s in Ely and Babbitt.
