The Iditarod? What is it?

By Mrs Barlet (adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race )

Identity card of the event

Name: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Date: March (March 2nd 2019)

Location: Alaska, United States

Event type: Dog Sled

Distance: around 1049 Miles (Anchorage to Nome, Alaska)

Established: 1967

Course records: Mitch Seavey, 2017, 8d 3h 40m 13s

Official site: www.iditarod.com

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. Mushers and a team of maximum 14 dogs, of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 8–15 days or more.

Teams generally race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach −100 °F (−73 °C).

A ceremonial start occurs in the city of Anchorage and is followed by the official restart in Willow, a city 80 mi (128.75 km) north of Anchorage. The trail is through a harsh landscape of tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, and across rivers. While the start in Anchorage is in the middle of a large urban center, most of the route passes through widely separated towns and villages, and small Athabaskan and Iñupiat settlements. The Iditarod is regarded as a symbolic link to the early history of the state and is connected to many traditions commemorating the legacy of dog mushing.

The race is a very important and popular sporting event in Alaska, and the top mushers and their teams of dogs are local celebrities.

History

Statue of Balto in Central Park (New York City)

The most famous event in the history of Alaskan mushing is the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the "Great Race of Mercy." It occurred when a large diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome.

Because Nome's supply of antitoxin had expired, Dr. Curtis Welch sent out telegrams seeking a fresh supply of antitoxin. The nearest antitoxin was found to be in Anchorage, nearly one thousand miles away. The only way to get the antitoxin to Nome was by sled dog as planes could not be used and ships would be too slow.

So, the 20-pound (9.1 kg) cylinder of serum was sent by train 298 miles (480 km) from the southern port of Seward to Nenana, where it was passed to the first of twenty mushers and more than 100 dogs who relayed the package 674 miles (1,085 km) from Nenana to Nome.

The Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog Balto arrived on Front Street in Nome just five and a half days later. The two became media celebrities, and a statue of Balto was erected in Central Park in New York City in 1925, where it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions.

However, most mushers consider Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo to be the true heroes of the run. Together they covered the most hazardous stretch of the route, and carried the serum 91 miles, the single farthest of any team.