ELY- Three things are needed to hold a sled dog race: snow, sled dog teams, and money. Yes, money. The entry fees for Ely’s WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race don’t cover the full cost of the event so the Chamber of Commerce runs a fundraising auction every year to help make up the difference. The race runs during the last full weekend of February, but the auction starts this Sunday, Oct. 8.
“Our ‘Dollars for Doggies’ online auction starts on Sunday and wraps up on Monday, Oct. 16,” stated Ely Chamber of Commerce executive director Eva Sebesta. “We have a number of items ranging from beautiful art and crafts donated from festival vendors to certificates for canoe trips, sled dog adventures, and kicksled rentals.
“The auction provides the perfect opportunity to support the race,” Sebesta said, “and purchase some fantastic gifts for friends, family, and you. We hope folks will check out the auction at 32auctions.com/WTC2024.” Complete race details are available at WolfTrackClassic.com.
A history of racing
Ely is well known for sled dog adventures and racing. The Ely All-American Sled Dog race ran from 1970 to the early 1990s and was the largest sled dog race in the lower 48 states. But when those races were discontinued, Ely went almost 20 years with no sled dog events. Beginning in 2008, a small group of determined mushers started the WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race. This coming winter’s race weekend is Feb. 24-25, with race day set for Feb. 25.
Last year, the race drew mushers from across the U.S. and Canada and offered the largest musher purse in the WolfTrack Classic race history: $15,000. Every musher that crossed the finish line went home with a check. The race has two categories: six-dogs running 30 miles and eight-dogs covering 50 miles. The route follows the Taconite Trail from Ely to Bear Head State Park. The start-finish is located at the softball complex on the east end of Ely with multiple viewing points available for spectators along the race route.