Race to the Sky Pre-Race Banquet & Schedule of Events

With Race to the Sky just about two weeks away, final planning for the weekend's events is in full swing.

It kicks off on Friday afternoon, Feb. 7, with vet checks from 1-3:30 p.m. for the 300-mile racers, a meeting for mushers and handlers, all followed by the annual Pre-Race Banquet at the Lincoln Community Hall from 6-8 p.m. The menu for the banquet includes pork roulade with cream sauce, grilled chicken with caramelized onion sauce, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, and salad bar with dinner rolls.

The event is free of charge and open to the community as a way to kick-off the weekend's events and for people to meet the mushers and find out more about the race.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, beginning at 10 a.m., veterinarians will perform checks for dogs in the 100-mile adult race as well as the junior race.

The race starts at 2 p.m. at Hi Country, where everyone is welcome to watch the teams take off. Beginning at 5 p.m., the 100 and 300-mile fans can view the racers at the Whitetail Ranch checkpoint near Coopers Lake, which is 52 miles from the start of the race.

All mushers will be enabled with GPS tracking devices so race enthusiasts can keep tabs on their favorite teams and see their standings throughout the race.

The 100-mile teams will finish the race at the Morell Creek Trailhead in Seeley Lake Sunday,from 3 a.m. until noon. Awards will be presented at 1 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. Between the hours of 2 a.m. and noon, the 300-mile teams will be in and out at the Seeley Community Hall for their mandatory layover. They will then head into and out of Whitetail Ranch later in the afternoon towards the Lincoln finish.

Organizers encourage race enthusiasts to head to Hi Country to see the finish of the 300-mile race, beginning at 8 p.m. on Monday. Teams will continue to make their way to the finish line through Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. The 300 mile awards assembly is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

For the most up-to-date Race to the Sky information, visit their website at http://www.racetothesky.org. or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.