There is nothing quite like the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. For the last 40 years, this incredibly challenging, incredibly dangerous competition has taken place in the inhospitable cold of the Alaskan wilderness. But this annual event did not just invent itself. There is a good amount of tradition and history surrounding this, the most important sporting event in Alaska.
The story of the Iditarod race goes back to 1925, the first time that the race was run. But this race wasn’t competitive among the teams. It was a race against time. In the city of Nome, there was an outbreak of diphtheria, a serious infection affecting the mucous membranes of your nose and throat which can block your airway, causing you to struggle for breath. With sick and dying children, and a huge blizzard blocking the flight of the planes that tried to deliver treatment serum, the population of Nome had no choice but to send for help. But the closest place with enough antitoxin was Anchorage, hundreds of miles away.
The Alaskan Governor, Scott Bone, sent 20 of the best mail carrier mushers (sled dog drivers) and 150 dogs along the 674-mile Iditarod trail on relays, a trip that usually took 15 to 20 days. The teams ran day and night, enduring terrible weather and temperatures of 50 degrees below zero, handing off the package to fresh teams. This event, later called the Great Race of Mercy, was completed in a record 5 days and 7 hours. Thanks to these brave men and their dog teams, the mortality rate was halted at 9 deaths. This inspiring story has immortalized several sled dogs and their mushers, and has even been retold in both books and films.
For years, the legend was told, until, in 1973, a race was devised to test the skill of mushers and their dog teams. The sport that took place there became known as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, named after the trail that started it all. It was later dubbed “the last great race on Earth”.
The race starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome, carving a route straight through over 1,000 miles of Alaska’s most dangerous snow-covered landscape. Each musher has 12 to 16 dogs to pull the sled. The race starts on the first Saturday of the third month of the year. This year, the race will start on March 7th. The record for fastest crossing of the length of the Iditarod is 8 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes, and 39 seconds, held by John Baker in 2011.
The race is a remembrance of Alaska’s history, not least because of the events of 1925. It is linked to most dog mushing traditions in the area. While most of the participants are locals, an increasing number of foreigners have also taken part in the event. The whole trail is a historic site. It is so popular that travel and business picks up as the event draws near. So, will you be among the thousands who turn their attention to Anchorage this March?
Shania Bakes will be covering the Iditarod Trial race this season, so stay tuned for further updates!
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