The Americans have the Super Bowl, the Canadians have the Stanley Cup, the Hawaiians have the Pipeline Classic, most of the world watches the World Cup to see who the best soccer team is... but up North in the State of Alaska, there is an extraordinary race that is growing in popularity... it is called “The Iditarod” . The 38th Iditarod race is currently underway in between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska, and the event is being grossly covered worldwide.
What Is It?
The Iditarod is a dog sled race that crosses the snowy ice land of Alaska. It is known for the beauty of the landscape, the characters of the racers, and the love between man and dog. Iditarod is a Native Indian word for “distance”. The race was named after the name of the Iditarod Trail, which is over 1100 miles in length over frozen rivers, through jagged mountains, and passing through many small towns where few people live.
The Spirit of the Iditarod
The race celebrates the commemoration of the early 1900s when the trail was used to deliver supplies and medical help to gold miners who went into the dangerous unknown areas of Alaska. In Alaska’s biggest city of Anchorage, the supplies would come in from a boat and they would load them onto a sled to be carried by 10-16 dogs across Alaska to the miners who lived in the treacherous weather conditions of winter in cold North. The race began in 1973 when the sledders wanted to test the dogs for their strength, but now it has become a competitive sport.
Really Cool Characters
There are many reasons for the growing popularity of the Iditarod race. The racers are usually the most interesting characters because of the courage required to perform such a cold, enduring, long event. There is also an amazing relationship to see between the racers and their dogs. Along the race are some of the most amazing pictures of Mother Nature’s weather, landscapes, and animals. It truly is like no other race in the World.
The Race Is On!
The 2010 Iditarod race started on March 6th, as the race always starts annually on every 1st Saturday in March. There are 71 teams currently racing and the race usually lasts in between 10-20 days depending on weather conditions. The closest finish to a race was actually determined by a dog’s nose at the finish line where the end result was only 1 second that separated 1st and 2nd place. But usually hours and days separate the competitors from the final results.
Related Stories:
