This year's annual Minden Techni-Cal Challenge will mark the fifteenth year that mushers and spectators from across North America have enjoyed the excitement of this great Canadian sport right on the Main Street of this community. Once again this year, Martin Pet Foods of Elmira are the race sponsors. The derby consists of two days of racing in which eight and four dog teams race for eight and four miles each day. The best total time determines the winners. The Minden Sled Dog Derby has gained a reputation worldwide on a number of fronts.
Mushers describe it as the most challenging course in the North American circuit of sled dog racing.
Since it comes early in the season, many racers use it as a 'proving ground' for their new teams. The Minden derby is also well known for the quality of its organization. Throughout the history of the event the racers have rated the Minden Sled Dog Derby as the best organized race of its class. That rating was confirmed again last season when the International Sled Dog Racing Association, the worldwide sanctioning body for the sport, named the Minden races the best in the four and eight dog classes. The support we receive from the people of Minden and the surrounding area is phenomenal.