Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby canceled for third year in a row

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The 2023 Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby. (Melissa Turtinen/FOX 9 / FOX 9)

EXCELSIOR, Minn. (FOX 9) - After rescheduling the sled dog race due to the lack of snow, the Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby has canceled this year's race – marking the third year in a row the race has been canceled due to lack of snow or safe ice.

The race on Lake Minnetonka was originally postponed from Feb. 14 to March 7 in hopes there would be enough snow, but that didn't happen, organizers said.

Klondike Dog Derby canceled - again

What we know:

Organizers of the Klondike Dog Derby announced Thursday the lack of snow on Lake Minnetonka from February's record warmth has forced them to cancel this year's race. 

"Given current conditions and long-term weather forecasts, we determined it is in the best interest of mushers who planned to race this year, our sponsors, and our volunteers to cancel at this time," said Klondike Dog Derby Founder, Vice President and Race Director Bethany Hway. "While Minnesota could still give us a good old-fashioned late-winter snowstorm, the odds are not in our favor."

Organizers say safety is their top priority, so even if more snow were to fall over the next three weeks, it's "highly unlikely it would remain frozen and pack densely over re‑frozen ice enough for sled dogs and their mushers to race."

Dig deeper:

This marks the third year in a row the Klondike Dog Derby has been canceled due to unfavorable conditions. 

"The past three winters have tested us with either ice-less or snow-less conditions, but Team Klondike never wavered," added Hway. "Our board has logged hundreds of hours, coordinated thousands of logistical details, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep us going. And—together with our incredible volunteers—we’ve hosted family‑friendly events and introduced tens of thousands of local students to the wonderful sport of sled dog racing."

The last time the Klondike Dog Derby was held was 2023. The first Klondike Dog Derby was held in February 2020.