The Iditarod is a dog sled race that takes place in Alaska. It has been a lasting tradition since 1973 and will continue to be an Alaskan tradition for years to come. However, it is not just Alaska that takes an interest in this race that seems stuck in time. No matter how much technology we learn, the Iditarod will always be a low-tech affair. It is man and beast versus Mother Nature, and nothing else. Here are some interesting facts about the Iditarod dog sled race:
1. The Iditarod starts in Anchorage, Alaska and ends in Nome, Alaska. A trail that is 1150 miles long. The Iditarod trail passes through mountains, tundra, rivers, and forests. Temperatures drop below zero, and at times windswept snow blocks out all vision.
2. Each dog sled team consists of 12-16 dogs and one human driver called a musher.
3. The Red Lantern is given to the last place finisher of the Iditarod dog sled race. This is because even finishing in last place is a great accomplishment, something very few people will ever be able to say they did.
4. The Iditarod dog sled race commemorates a time when dog sleds were used to save the entire town of Nome. Diptheria had struck the town, and there was no way to get through the frozen land with medicine. Dog sleds were the only option, and those dogs and their mushers raced against time to bring a saving serum to the people of Nome.
5. Balto and Togo were the lead dogs that brought the life saving medicine to Nome during the Diptheria epidemic. The story of Balto was later turned into a cartoon movie.
6. Although there is no way of knowing for sure how long it will take a team to finish the race, the Iditarod takes roughly 10-17 days to complete. Mushers have to make sure they have enough food for themselves and the dogs during this time.
7. The Iditarod dog sled race follows two trails that alternate every year. It takes the northern trail on the even years, and the southern trail on the odd years. They do this so that numerous towns can participate and benefit from the race. Teams pass through these towns, gaining them fame and money.
8. Breeds of dogs that have been used in the Iditarod are Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, and even wolves.
9. People can purchase a ride on a sled for the first few miles of the Iditarod. This money is used to send home mushers who do not earn a prize in the race. The cost of running the Iditarod is more than the monetary prize.
10. Dorothy Page created the Iditarod dog sled race in an attempt to save Alaska’s dog sled heritage. That dream is still going strong.
11. Rick Swenson entered 20 Iditarod dog sled races. He won five of them. In the other 15, he never finished out of the top ten. This is a record that many believe will never be beaten.
12. In 1985, Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the Iditarod dog sled race.
13. Iditarod means “clear water” or “distant place”. It is often argued which one it really is. However, it is agreed that the race was named after the Iditarod River. Iditarod is also the name of a town built on the river.
14. There are a number of checkpoints along the Iditarod trail that allow mushers to replace dogs. Those dogs are then taken care of by prisoners at a camp until the owner can pick them up after the race.
15. Lucky number 13: Rick and Lance Mackey were both sons of an Iditarod champion. They were also Iditarod champions. All three of them won the race on their sixth attempt. Lucky for them, they all wore the number 13.
Sources:
Iditarod Trivia and Facts, Iditarod Trail Committee, Inc.
Learn About The Iditarod, Iditarod Trail Committee, Inc.
Iditarod History, Iditarod Trail Committee, Inc.