Iditarod

The Iditarod is the world’s most famous dog sled race. It is an annual race that starts on the first Saturday of March in Anchorage, Alaska and ends in Nome, Alaska. The race crosses the Alaska Range and Kuskokwim Mountains range. The contestants in the race go northwest from Anchorage. Then they turn north and go along the Bering Sea to Nome. On even years they take the route that goes more north and on odd years they take the route that goes more south. White Mountain is the last of three rest stops for teams in the race.

Sled dogs at the start of the race in 2010

Iditarod is an endurance sport for the sled driver and the dogs. All the paths are cold, icy, and snowy.

The current way the Iditarod is run today started in 1973. There were also shorter races that started in 1967. The first shorter race took place in the years from 1967 - 1973. The shorter races were held on the Iditarod trail which was an old mail route.

Deaths of sled dogs: 3 sled dogs died during the race in 2024.

Each team has to keep moving for 1,100 miles.

12 to 16 dogs are in the race.

Related pages

• Finnmarksløpet 2024

References

• "Nature." Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic. Web. 12 May 2014.
• Nightingale, Dave. "Iditarod." World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
• "Race Across Alaska." Weekly Reader-3 (Vol. 74, No. 19). Feb. 25 2005: 2+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.