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FLYING UNDER THE STARS

At least 20 mushers expected

MARQUETTE — “He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars,” Jack London, The Call of the Wild.

Mushers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and even Ontario, Canada, who are participating in the Midnight Run will be flying under the Upper Peninsula stars after 8:30 p.m on Friday.

The race is expected to start roughly 30 minutes after the last U.P. 200 musher leaves the chute on Washington Street in Marquette.

The MR consists of eight-dog teams trekking 90 miles, and is typically faster than the 230-mile U.P. 200, according to the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association website.

Like the U.P. 200, Midnight Run mushers will start in downtown Marquette traveling to Chatham and then return to Marquette for the finish after a five and a half hour layover in Chatham.

The Midnight Run gives mushers the opportunity to test their skill on a technically challenging trail

“The Midnight Run draws some of the finest eight-dog teams in the region and the competition is fierce,” the website states

Midnight Run coordinator Sarah Kimball said she expected about 20 mushers to compete for a piece of the $13,575 purse. Registration is limited to 40 teams.

The first place musher will garner $2,900, second place wins $2,500, and third place gets $2,100. Cash prizes are awarded to all mushers who place 15th and above.

Kimball said the Midnight Run is a vital part of the UPSDA because it is a building block for the U.P. 200.

“One of the main reason we have three races is to build this sport, dog mushing. Someone just getting into this sport will start with a smaller kennel and short miles to cover at one time,” Kimball said. “Once they have accomplished this and feel comfortable, they will move up to the Midnight Run, they will have to increase the size of their kennel and increase their training miles for a longer distance race. The next step up will be the U.P. 200; same thing, increase their kennel and increase training miles and also practice doing a mock camping out on the trail. This is learning how to handle the team without any outside help.”

Kimball said teams are expected to finish in Marquette at Mattson Lower Harbor Park, with the first teams typically arriving in Marquette around 8:30 a.m.

For more information on the race and the mushers, visit up200.org/midnight-run.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.

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