Dryland Dash aims to boost off-season sled dog racing

If you've ever shivered in the cold watching a sled dog race, you'll appreciate an event coming up this weekend at the Marquette County Fairgrounds. The first ever UP 200 Dryland Dash will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, starting at 9 a.m. both days.

This free event will be fun for all ages as sled dogs show off their prowess and discipline pulling wheeled rigs, scooters, bicycles, and mushers through wooded trails. Eventgoers will get a close up look at these beautiful dogs and see what they do in the off season to prepare for winter sled dog racing. It's also a chance for wouldbe mushers to see if this is a sport they may wish to take up.

"We're doing this to renew interest in sled dog racing at a time of year when there isn't a lot of public interest," says race organizer Tim Trowbridge. "It's an educational opportunity for people that are interested in it, because this is a time of year when you're not encumbered by heavy winter coats and mittens, snow and cold weather."

Trowbridge says anyone can enter the race, even with only a dog and a bicycle. The International Sled Dog Racing Association sanctioned event will feature two classes: Class A, a 1.3 mile race and Class B, a 2 mile race. Both races will go through a wooded trail and start and finish on the fairground property. Teams of 1 to 6 dogs will vie for a piece of a $1,500 purse.

Trowbridge, who has been involved in sled dog racing for many years with a sled dog racing organization called the Wisconsin Trailblazers, says teams will be coming from the northern part of that state as well as Illinois, lower Michigan and possibly a few from the Upper Peninsula.

The dryland concept allows people to dip a toe into this competitive sport before actually going out on the snowy trails with a full fledged team of dogs.

"This is a way for people to get into sled dog racing, see if this is something they might want to do," says Trowbridge. "Every musher who mushes in the UP 200 started somewhere, with one dog, two dogs... who knows, maybe 10 years from now the champion of the UP 200 will be someone who started out with two dogs and a bicycle."

The UP 200 and Midnight Run was conceived in 1988 by area families who struck a common bond over the appreciation of sled dogs and sled dog racing. The first race was held in February 1990. The races traverse a trail through Marquette, Alger, and Delta counties, skirting the communities of Marquette, Chatham, Rapid River, Escanaba, Grand Marais, and Gwinn. The races are a community effort with many volunteers offering their time and expertise. Area businesses back the events with donations and other pledges of support.

The event is sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association (UPSDA) and managed by the Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club. Support for the first ever UP 200 Dryland Dash is coming from Settle Inn, Days Inn, and America's Best Value Inn, all of Marquette, and the Model Towne Inn in Gwinn.  

Camping is available at the race site and costs $20 for the first night and $10 for each additional night. The Marquette County Fairgrounds is located in Sands Township, two miles south of County Road 480, on M-553.