UP200 showcases region’s winter spirit

Ryan Anderson won the 2022 version of the UP200, completing the 228-mile route 19 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor. This marks Anderson's ninth victory in the UP200.

Race, festivities among community events Enbridge sponsors

March 2, 2022

With their puff jackets, gloves and snowshoes, dog-sled racers and booty-clad dogs from North America recently gathered for the traditional Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association race—the UP200.

One of the premier 12-dog sled races in North America, the UP200 covered approximately 228 miles across Marquette and Grand Marais from Feb. 17 through 21. First held in February 1990, the race has grown to 40 team participants, with the top 15 teams earning cash prizes ranging from $450 to $7,800.

Common in cold climates, dog-sled race traditions span generations. While the UP200 started in 1990, the 1908 All Alaska Sweepstakes was the first rule-based dog-sled race.

While not physically competing in the UP200, Enbridge’s Line 5 participated in a different way.

“We are delighted to be one of the sponsors of the UP200, largely because it reflects traditions that our communities treasure,” said Emma Cook, Enbridge community engagement advisor. “Beyond that, the UP200 in many ways highlights what the natural gas liquids and light crude oil transported safely each day from Enbridge Line 5 in the Straits helps make possible.”

Cook noted that product from Line 5 is essential to the manufacture of water-resistant outerwear, boots and gloves common to the event, among spectators and racers alike. She also shared that Line 5 helps in the production of tumblers, heat packs and eyewear, as well as the heat lamps and propane used for cooking in the food booths synonymous with the UP200 and related festivities.

Ryan Anderson and his four-legged team members garnered first place in this year’s UP200. The UP200, however, was not the only competition garnering attention from the region.

Across the globe, Michigan native Nick Baumgartner competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Honing his snowboarding skills in his hometown of Iron River, Baumgartner represented the United States and Michigan in snowboarding, where participants raced through an obstacle course. In his third Olympic appearance, Baumgartner, along with teammate Lindsey Jacobellis, won a gold medal in mixed snowboardcross.