The excitement is building for the 25th running of the U.P. 200 Sled Dog Championship. Events, include the U.P. 200, Jack Pine 30 and Midnight Run.

The races kick off two weeks from today, with the U.P. 200 and Midnight Run starting Friday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. and approximately 8:30 p.m., respectively, right in front of The Mining Journal office.

U.P. 200 mushers and their teams will be headed to Grand Marais, while the Midnight Run teams run to Chatham. Both of those events end in Marquette.

The Jack Pine 30 Sled Dog Race starts and finishes in Gwinn with the beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 at Larry’s Family Foods. The finish line will be at the First Baptist Church, located on North Billings Street.

Adding to the sled dog anticipation was Wednesday’s unveiling of the U.P. 200 trophies for 2015. These trophies will be on display at the Marquette Community Federal Credit Union until the opening of the U.P. 200 headquarters at the YMCA in Marquette on Feb. 11. This display will give the public a chance to look at these prizes, as three duplicates of the trophies will be up for grabs at the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association’s silent auction, which takes place at the race headquarters at the YMCA in Marquette.

We also must thank the UPSDA for its recent move in naming the starting gate in the memory of Todd Hennigan, a longtime supporter of the U.P. 200 and sled dog racing in general. Hennigan died unexpectedly just weeks after the 2014 race and his joyful presence is missed. For years, Hennigan brought U.P. 200 sled dog mascots Banshee and later Seamus to schools to meet thousands of children and to other events to promote the race.

Hennigan will be saluted at the start of this year’s race and we know his spirit will be with the teams as they make their way down the trails.

For more information on the sled dog championships, visit up200.org.