Mother Nature certainly came through just in time for organizers of the WolfTrack Classic.
Several inches of fresh snow arrived Wednesday, almost as if on order from those behind the 18th annual sled dog race.
Race day is set for Sunday with a full weekend of activities before - and there’s both a large group of mushers and ample snow for the dogs to run on.
The outlook wasn’t as spectacular earlier in the week.
“On the trails there were some bare spots,” said Eva Sebesta, race coordinator. “We have a musher checking the trail and we needed some snow, so this is going to put us in really good shape as far as the trails go. And it sounds like the DNR is going to be doing some more grooming. There are going to be awesome conditions.”
The WolfTrack Classic includes both an eight-dog, 48-mile race and a shorter, six-dog, 25-mile event, and the races cap off a full weekend of race festivities.
Spectators will also have a new venue to take in the races, as both the start and finish lines have moved this year to the new Ely Regional Trailhead Complex on the community’s western edge.
For years, the race was headquartered at the softball complex on the east end of town.
The Ely Chamber of Commerce puts on the Wolf-Track Classic and the organization’s offices are now at the trailhead, and organizers say the switch makes sense on several fronts.
“We’ve got this great new facility down here and it really highlights the trail system,” said Sebesta. “We’re really looking forward to running the race out of here. There are public restrooms, a great place for people to come in and warm up. It’s a beautiful location and a wonderful way to showcase that.”
Spectator viewing begins at 8 a.m., and the race starts at 9 a.m., with the high-energy departure of race teams as they head out on to the Taconite Trail.
Hot beverages, courtesy of Midco, will be available as well as some snacks.
Public parking will be available both on streets adjacent to the trailhead complex as well as a gravel pit near the North American Bear Center.
Those who turn out Sunday will see more mushers than usual, with 14 set to take part in the eight-dog race and another 35 in the six-dog race.
“As far as mushers go, we were up to 53 at one point which is the largest number we’ve had in many years,” said Sebesta. “I don’t know if it’s just because of the great snow conditions. We had a few drop out so it’s 49 as of today. Typically if we are running anywhere from 38 to 43 mushers that’s a big race for us.”
One defending champion returns this year, as Brian Bergen is back after his team won the six-dog race in 2025. Bergen is competing at the eight-dog level this weekend.
Last year’s eight-dog winner, Matthew Schmidt, is not scheduled to participate.
The festivities began Friday at Grand Ely Lodge, host to the second annual Wolf-Track Prance. It’s a social for mushers, volunteers and fans, the event features music, food and door prizes.
The Saturday prior the race is an event all to itself, as dog teams assemble in the parking lot on the Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College.
From 3 to 5 p.m., a “Meet the Teams” event will be held and fans can meet the “fourpawed marathoners” at the vet check area.
Following the meet-andgreet, a mushers dinner will be held as VCC’s Wilderness Club puts on a spaghetti dinner fundraiser. Tickets are $13 for adults and $7 for youth.
The WolfTrack Classic relies both on sponsors and volunteers, and Sebesta said that after the loss of a major sponsor, people stepped up on Facebook with “a tremendous outpouring of all sizes of donations and sponsorships to get us over the $10,000 mark for the mushers’ purse. Every dollar helps and it’s very heartwarming to see people support the race.”
Sebesta said the race will also benefit from 90-to-100 volunteers who will aid with everything from parking and logistics to road and safety crossings.
“We have dropped a little in our need for volunteers, because we don’t have to do Highway 1 and 21 road crossings anymore, but we do have a great group of volunteers and we deeply appreciate that.”
