MARQUETTE, MI — The UP200 sled dog race drew thousands to downtown Marquette this weekend, showcasing how Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has transformed winter from an off-season challenge into a thriving economic driver through strategic tourism partnerships.
The event, which featured mushers from eight states and two provinces competing in three races, filled local businesses, hotels and restaurants during what would traditionally be a slower winter period.
“Events like the UP200 are a perfect reflection of downtown Marquette. They bring people together. They activate our streets. They fill our businesses, our hotels and our sidewalks with energy, conversation and a sense of shared pride,” said Tara Laase-McKinney, director of the Marquette Downtown Development Authority, during Friday’s opening ceremony.
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UP200 dog sled race in Upper Peninsula 2026
Now in its fourth decade since launching in 1989, the UP200 operates through partnerships between Northern Michigan University, Pure Michigan and local businesses. This collaboration has created what organizers describe as a sustainable model for generating winter tourism revenue.
“This year, the event has drawn visitors from across the country and beyond, showcasing Michigan’s appeal as a premier winter destination,” said Kelly Wolgamott, vice president of Pure Michigan.
The weekend began last Friday as Oberstar Inc., a locally-owned excavating company, transformed multiple downtown blocks into a snow-packed track using thousands of cubic yards of snow.
As evening fell on the historic downtown, thousands lined Washington Street to watch UP200 and Midnight Run teams launch from the starting chute, disappearing into the darkness of the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior.
“This race is about so much more than miles on trail. It’s about endurance, partnership, trust and a deep respect for winter and the landscape we call home,” Laase-McKinney said.
Scenes from the Midnight Run sendoff in downtown Marquette, Mich. on Friday, February 13, 2026. Earlier in the evening the seventeen teams departed downtown for the UP200. The teams led by a musher with 12 dogs, will cover 228 miles of Upper Peninsula wilderness. They will trek through hills, creek crossings, deep snow and isolated trails from Marquette to Grand Marais and back on the multi-day trip. Joel Bissell | MLive.com
“It is about mushers and dogs working as one. Volunteers who show up before dawn and long after dark. And a community that embraces the cold because we know what something like this means for our region.”
Scenes from the UP200 sendoff in downtown Marquette, Mich. on Friday, February 13, 2026. The UP200 is the longest of three dog sled races held over the weekend. Seventeen teams, led by a musher with 12 dogs, will cover 228 miles of Upper Peninsula wilderness. They will trek through hills, creek crossings, deep snow and isolated trails from Marquette to Grand Marais and back on the multi-day trip. Nineteen other dog teams also departed for the 82-mile race Midnight Run race.Joel Bissell | MLive.com
At the halfway mark of the race, UP200 teams were greeted in Grand Marais by a community Winter Fest.
The UP200, which serves as a qualifier for Alaska’s Iditarod, tests mushers through hills, creek crossings and remote trails across the 228-mile journey. The race distributed $39,000 in prize money among the top finishers, with 13 of 17 teams completing the multi-day trek.
Ryan Anderson of St. Croix Falls, Wisc. prepares his dog team for the UP200 sendoff in downtown Marquette, Mich. on Friday, February 13, 2026. The UP200 is the longest of three dog sled races held over the weekend. Seventeen teams, led by a musher with 12 dogs, will cover 228 miles of Upper Peninsula wilderness. They will trek through hills, creek crossings, deep snow and isolated trails from Marquette to Grand Marais and back on the multi-day trip. Anderson has won the UP200 nine times.Joel Bissell | MLive.com
Ryan Anderson of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, secured his 10th UP200 title Sunday morning, finishing at Ojibwa Casino east of Harvey with a total trail time of 22:09:35.
Erin Aili of Ray, Minnesota, placed second for the second consecutive year in 22:15:31, followed by Matthew Schmidt of Grand Marais, Minnesota, in 22:50:01.
The weekend also featured the overnight 82-mile Midnight Run, won by Rita Wehseler of Tofte, Minnesota, with all 19 teams completing the course. Erin Schouweiler of Irma, Wisconsin, claimed victory in the Jack Pine 30 in Gwinn with a time of 1:46:38.
You can see full race results here.
Midnight Run musher Ryan Roberts of Wetmore, Mich. with Spirit Dream Racing passes by Lakenenland, a few miles from the finish line in Marquette County, Mich. on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. The Midnight Run is a 82-mile overnight dog sled race, the second longest race in the UP200.Joel Bissell | MLive.com
In addition to the sled dog races, hundreds from across the country descended on Munising to climb the iconic ice formations at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
The multi-day Michigan Ice Fest, which began as a modest gathering in 1991, offered climbers of all skill levels the chance to scale various ice formations along the lakeshore.
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Michigan Ice Fest 2026 takes over Pictured Rocks ice formations
