A sled dog team makes its way down West Washington Street in Marquette during a previous UP200 race. Due to deteriorating trail conditions and concern for the safety of mushers and dogs, organizers have canceled the UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 scheduled for Feb. 16-18. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — Due to deteriorating trail conditions and concern for the safety of mushers and dogs, organizers of the events have canceled the UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 scheduled for Feb. 16-18.

“Sled dog races across the Midwest have been canceled this winter due to lack of snow and warm temperatures. That being the case, we were even more determined to hold our races for mushers and the community, but the current conditions have made the choice for us. Safety is our top priority and given the lack of snow and the warm temperatures, we cannot offer a safe race. We will make the best of a difficult situation however,” UP200 president Darlene Walch said in a news release.

The Festival of the Sled Dog Powered by NMU will take place on Feb. 16 in downtown Marquette. Additional details on UP200 events will be made available on social media and in the local media in the coming days. The starting-line arch will be up, the streets will be filled with snow for sledding, and there will be sled dog demos, meaning: there will be sled dogs. There will also be live music and other activities.

“We appreciate the support of the community as we pivot to a festival format. This is a difficult decision to make after the months of work already put in by mushers, volunteers, sponsors and our board,” Walch said. “Thank you to everyone for your flexibility and understanding and we hope to see you at Festival of the Sled Dog.”