Gunflint Mail Run will be held this weekend

Dogs get a rest during the race

Fans of sled dog racing will watch some truly great dog teams vie for cash prizes this weekend in one of two race sled dog races held during the Gunflint Mail Run.

Some of the best viewpoints will be at Trail Center Lodge, the start and finish of the races. Big Bear Lodge and Rockwood Lodge also have areas to view the race, and some sites along the course are available. Go to the Gunflint Mail Run website to find other viewing areas.

The race organizer asks that you refrain from bringing your dog(s) to the race with you.

The first 12 dog-team musher will leave Trail Center at 8 a.m. on Saturday. At 9 a.m., the first 8-dog team will depart. Eight-dog teams will have a mandatory three-hour layover, while 12-dog teams will have a four-hour layover at Trail Center.

There are twelve teams entered in the 12-dog class. Ryan Redington and Gunnar Johnson traveled the farthest to race. Both are from Skagway, Alaska.

Two local mushers will compete in the more extended event— Matthew Schmidt of the Sawtooth Racing Kennel and Mary Manning of the Doodledog Kennel.

Seventeen dog teams will race in the 8-dog competition. Drew Heskins traveled the furthest to compete, coming from Salcha, Alaska. Local competitors include Erin Altemus of Sawtooth Mountain Kennels, Joanna Oberg of Run Silent Racing, and Rita Wehseler of Stoney Creek Kennel.

One update for mushers and fans is that the 12-dog race will be shortened to two 40-mile legs with the turnaround at County 47/Round Lake Road due to trail conditions. That change, also made last year, cuts about twenty miles off the course, shortening the race from 100 miles to 80 miles. The 8-dog race is 65 miles long.