The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual
dogsledding competition held in March of every year.Mushers (the dogsled drivers) have and race teams of up to 16
dogs.The strenuous and grueling course
lasts 1150 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.The Iditarod is nicknamed “The Last Great Race on Earth” for its
length and difficulty level. The hardships that most all mushers normally run
into include deep snow, unpredictable storms, close encounters with animals,
and overflow (when the ice on a river melts and then re-freezes over its
banks.Some mushers can recount
spotting polar bears but the animal that is most commonly seen and often fought
with is the moose.Moose have been
known to literally obliterate whole teams by crushing equipment and the bodies
of the dogs in some rare cases.
II.ABOUT THE COMPETITION
There
are about 55-75 dogsled teams that come every year to compete in the Iditarod
Trail Sled Dog Race.The start of the
race is in downtown Anchorage, Alaska on the first Saturday of March.Most of the teams reach Nome, Alaska, the
end of the race.An estimated 10 to 20
percent of all the contestants drop out or are disqualified though, during the
race.The start of the race in
Anchorage has been considered a ceremonial occasion ever since 1995.Because of this, mushers drive 30 miles
northeast to the Town of Wasilla to restart.
After
the restart of the race, the teams go through the 1150 miles and 26 checkpoints
in the Iditarod.The course seeps into
the Alaska Range, then into steep-walled and narrow gorges, alpine tundra, and
onto the shores of the Bering Sea.At
the Bering Sea, the teams come face to face with temperatures reaching –100
degrees Fahrenheit.The racecourse also
makes a split into 300-mile routes in the interior, thus allowing more areas to
celebrate and host the race-related activities.The southern route is used on odd-numbered years and the
northern route is used on the even-years.
As
mentioned earlier, the number of hazardous predicaments that the course put the
teams into is great.Many things like
violent snowstorms can force teams to backtrack.Some teams even become stranded.Numerous natural perils even include the tons of stress that mushers are
put through as they travel through the 9-12 days of only about 2 hours of sleep
a day!Do you think you could do that
out in the freezing, desolate wilderness of Alaska?In spite of all the hardships, most still love the race.Some, for its immense competition, and
others, a chance to have some adventure and enjoy Alaska’s beauty.
Training
for this race is not easy.Teams must
train for an entire year, refining eating and sleeping schedules, and logging
over hundreds of miles of difficult and rough terrain.Mushers care for their dog very much—always
checking them for fatigue and/or injuries.To prevent injuries on the dogs’ feet, which is very common because of
the snow and ice, mushers treat the dogs’ feet with medication and protect them
with fabric booties.
III.THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
The Iditarod Trail Committee
(ITC) is the sponsor of the Iditarod.To qualify for the race, mushers need to have 500 miles of qualifying
race experience.Certain gear is also
required—sleeping bag, ax, snowshoes, cooker, dog booties, veterinarian
notebook, and food for the dogs and musher (food is most of the time sent to
the checkpoints ahead of time).The
sleds when loaded can weigh up to 150 lb.The top 20 finishers share a cash prize, the winner receiving the
largest portion.The first mushers to
arrive at certain checkpoints also receive prizes.Mushers are required to make three mandatory stops—a 24-hour rest
at any checkpoint and two 8-hour stops.
Any
mistreatment of dogs will result in disqualification from the race and a
possible ban from further competition by the musher.Because of this and common emotional bond between the musher and
his/her dogs, all mushers top priority is caring for the dogs.Ant injured, sick, or fatigued dogs must be
carried on the sled.At every
checkpoint, veterinarians thoroughly check every dog for everything from
injuries and illnesses to drugs that may have been fed to the dogs to enhance
performance and/or suppress any signs of illness or injury.
The
ITC expects and permits all mushers to assist each other in emergencies.The ITC also recognizes the fact that
survival and safety always outweighs competition.
IV.NOW FOR SOME HISTORY
The
Iditarod is named after a town in Alaska named Iditarod.The town was once a bustling city-like
place.What made it famous were its
gold deposits of which many people made much money on.Soon though the gold ran out and the town
was abandoned.Now, when mushers come
through Iditarod, all that greets them are the broken remains of the town.
The history of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog
Race can date back to the winter of 1925 in Nome, Alaska.An epidemic of diphtheria, an extremely
deadly contagious disease, spread through Nome.Since there was no medication for the disease in Nome, the
diphtheria serum had to be transported 1125 miles to save the citizens of the
town.First a train took the medicine
from Anchorage to Nenana, Alaska and then mushers relayed it to Nome.The Iditarod is meant to commemorate the
accomplishment of these mushers.It is
also meant to honor the Iditarod National Historic Trail of which was one of
Alaska’s main mail routes.
The
Iditarod was first held in 1973.The
winner, Dick Wilmarth, completed the course in 20 days.In 1995 though, the American musher Doug
Swingley finished the race in just 9 days!This was made possible by new advances in technology, equipment, sleds,
and even food.
Some names of famous mushers include
five-time champion, American Rick Swenson, and four-time champion, American
Susan Butcher.
