By Journal Staff

NEGAUNEE — The UP200 Dryland Dash is accepting team registrations until Monday.

Hosted by the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association and the Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club, this will be the eighth annual UP200 Dryland Dash and takes place Oct. 12-13.

When registering, participants will have the option to choose from three categories depending on their desired level of competititon and breed of dogs they’ll be racing.

The registration categories are as follows:

≤ All Breed Pro, for racers running any breed of dog at a competitive level.

≤ RNB Pro, for racers running a registered Nordic breed dog (such as registered Siberian huskies, malamute huskies, etc). Paperwork proving that your dog(s) are RNB must be available.

≤ Sport, for racers running for the first time or noncompetitive mushers.

Races for wheeled rigs, scooters, bikes and canicross (canine cross country) will take place, with one-, two-, four- and six-dog teams competing on a 2.2-mile-long loop. Juniors will compete on a one-mile trail. These options can also be selected when registering online.

All competitors are required to have a Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club membership, which can be purchased online when you register for the race.

The races will start at 9 a.m. on both mornings at the Negaunee Township Park, which is located at 42 M-35 in Negaunee. The driver’s meeting will take place at 8 a.m. on Oct. 12 in the same location.

The two-day time will be totaled to determine winners of the $2,000 cash prize.

Mushers are able to camp at the race site, priced at $15 per night per campsite. Camping registration can be completed online alongside race registration, but camping payments will be collected on-site by the host organizations.

This event is sanctioned by the International Sled Dog Racing Association, and those with an ISDRA membership can earn points for competing. Competitors without an ISDRA membership must pay a $6 fee per class.

There are volunteer opportunities for those who would like to be involved outside of racing, such as food table attendants, trail supervision, fencing setup, and dog handling/team helpers. Those interested in volunteering can contact Meg via email at Volunteer@up200.org.

Registration for this event closes at 9 p.m. on Monday.

To register, visit events.bytepro.net/UP200DrylandDash.

Additional information and questions can be directed to the Dryland Dash’s active Facebook group, the Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club’s active Facebook page, or the UP200, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30’s active Facebook page.

Mushers with race-specific questions are encouraged to contact Kate Dehlin at azdehlin@yahoo.com.