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MARQUETTE -- A lot happens on the UP 200 trails that we don't get to see, and at the awards breakfast this morning at the Holiday Inn, mushers filled us in.  They shared stories from the trails and their secrets to getting through the race.

"When I go through a trail crossing, I'll almost sing the command," said fourth place winner Jim Oelschlaeger.  "It takes a little pressure off them and I think they like my voice."

"I try to stay as quiet as I possibly can," said first place winner Ryan Anderson.

Every musher has his own technique, but it doesn't always work.  Last year's champ, Eric Morris, experienced some bad luck on the trails when his sled runners fell off, leaving him in seventh place.

"I just did not have clean runs," said Morris.  "To win one of these races, there's a thousand things that can go wrong and everything has to go right in order to win."

Mushers with smoother runs beat Morris this year; Nathan Schroeder placed second.

"I didn't have any problems," said Schroeder.  "I went from start to finish and I didn't even think we stopped out there."

First place winner Ryan Anderson collected $6,000. 

Mushers who placed in the top 15 were awarded prize money, and the dogs were awarded food and rest.

Although not everybody walked away with a check, nobody walked away empty handed.  Last place finishers were awarded original woodlands paintings created by a local artist and everybody walked away with a great experience.