Gichigami Express Sled Dog Race

The Gichigami Express Sled Dog Race is a new world-class sled dog race that connects three communities in northeastern Minnesota. Thirty teams are expected to compete for a $25,000 purse underwritten by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The three day event celebrates the rich heritage of mushing in the Minnesota Arrowhead Region. Each day teams race on a trail of approximately 60 miles starting in one community and finishing in the next. This year’s stages connect the communities of Grand Portage, Grand Marais and the Gunflint Trail who hold commemorative events honoring local history.

The event kicks off with a mushers “potlatch” in Grand Portage on Friday, Jan. 5. The first stage will begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 6 in Grand Portage. The teams race to Hungry Jack Lodge on the Gunflint Trail where teams will be expected between 3 and 6 p.m. that afternoon. In the evening, spectators will have a chance to meet the mushers at the banquet feast.