Historic dog sled race puts Michigan on the map

A dog sled team like this one in Alaska, is bred for racing, and often travels throughout the country, including Michigan to race. Photo by Lisa Paine KALKASKA — When people hear about sled-dog racing, they more times than not think of the legendary Iditarod race in Alaska.

However, Michigan has plenty of races of its own, including the 45th running of the Midwest International Dog Sled Race at the Kalkaska Winterfest this past weekend, Jan. 16-17. The race marks the oldest, continuously run sled dog race in Michigan and second oldest in the lower 48.

Michigan’s dog-sled racing season began in earnest Jan. 9 in the Lake Louise/Thumb Lake sprint races in Boyne Falls just south of Petoskey and the popular Tahquamenon distance races near Newberry in the Upper Peninsula. In total, Michigan will host 25 races through the season.

For those who have never witnessed a dog sled race as it’s about to start, it’s a symphony of barking, whining and yelping as dogs of varying mixed breeds fall silent as they jump at the “Go” command to start the race. The din of excited noise is quickly replaced by the sound of well-waxed sled skis and dog pants and synchronized placing of dog paws digging into the course’s packed surface.

Michigan’s abundance of snow and cold makes it an ideal place to race dogs and sleds, and Michigan is home to several dog kennels and dog sled organizations. including the Great Lakes Sled Dog Association and Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association.

Racers belong to the International Dog Sled Racing Association along with their local association. Open to juniors on up to veterans, the types of races are as varied as the dog breeds pulling the sleds. Sprint races also include a weightpulling competition and Kalkaska was the only race in the state that included an unlimited/ open class where mushers can run any number and combination of dogs they wish. The sprint races are the shorter-distance races, typically less than 10 miles, but they vary within the event based on the number of dogs in each team.

Distance races, on the other hand, are divided into classes based on the number of dogs in the teams, and those races can more than 100 miles and last over the course of several days. The longest distance race in the state is the U.P. 200 that has a 240-mile course from Marquette to Grand Marais and back. The race takes place in the coldest month in the winter — February — and annually brings worldclass racers and teams that actually use the race as a qualifier for the international Iditarod race.

Dog sled teams were first recorded in 1908 with the running of the All-Alaska Sweepstakes, a 408-mile race from Nome to Candle and back in Alaska. The winner crossed the finish line in 119 hours, 15 minutes, 12 seconds. Just two years later, the sport’s development became apparent when the winner trimmed hours off his time, finishing in 74 hours, 14 minutes, 37 seconds, a record that still stands today. On the heels of the All-Alaska race, the first race run in the Lower 48 took place in Ashton, Idaho, in 1917, but three years later, the standard of transporting food, goods and mail by dog sled began to be replaced by airplanes.

The most notable mark set in sled dog history was the 1925 January diptheria outbreak in the icebound village of Nome. Because of the small size of the community, its stock of antitoxin was limited and quickly used up as the outbreak reached nearfatal epidemic status. Stories relate how the Alaska Railroad Hospital in Anchorage had the serum, but had no way to quickly get the serum across the 670 miles of ice and water. Planes of the time had open cockpits and had been stored for the winter, so a 20-lb. package of serum was packed in quilting, canvas and fur and went by railroad as far as Nenana. It was then transferred to a group of 22 natives and mail carriers who made the delivery in 5-1/2 days to the suffering village.

Over time, as railroad and airplanes became the mode of transportation in Alaska, sleddog teams became more of a recreation than necessity and grew in popularity in the U.S., Canada, Japan and Europe.

Turning back to Michigan, also on the slate for the 2010 season is the fan favorite Mackinaw Mush in Mackinaw City, the Atlanta 45th Parallel Sled Dog Race, the Jack Pine 30 that takes place in Gwinn and the Upper Peninsula’s Kinross Classic.

Details: www.sleddogcentral.com