MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) — When the first UP200 took place in February 1990, George H.W. Bush was president of the United States and Michiganders could top off their tanks for about 65 cents a gallon.
A group including Jeffrey Mann, Scott and Elise Bunce, Tom and Sarah Lindstrom launched a mission to bring sled dog racing to Marquette. The plan met with success in February 1990 with a trail that ran from Marquette to Chatham, Rapid River, Escanaba, Gwinn, and the return to Marquette. Business owners offered support and the original group expanded to include additional members. Louann Balding became a key member of the race committee. Approximately 10,000 people showed up to watch the first UP200. The Midnight Run also began that same year.
Change was inevitable and in 2003, the race trail was altered to reach Grand Marais as the turnaround location.
In 2023, the scheduled race was cancelled for the first time due to weather. Organizers quickly morphed the event into a Festival of the Sled Dog which included entertainment along Washington Street.
The UP200 initially included a maximum of 10 dogs and included 14 teams. In 2024, approximately 20 teams are expected to participate.
The night before the first race, Marquette received 16 inches of snow! Organizers hope that this year’s race will be sufficiently cold and snowy to mark the return of one of the U.P.’s largest and most popular events.
