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2008 Iditarod is underway
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race started on Saturday, March 1. The race usually last between 8 and 15 days.
According to Wikipedia, the “Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, usually just called the “Iditarod”, is an annual sled dog race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of dogs cover 1,049 miles (1,853 km) in eight to fifteen days. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams, evolving into the highly competitive race it is today.”
The Iditarod commemorates the “Great Race of Mercy,” in which serum to combat a diphtheria epidemic threatening Nome was raced by dog sled teams from Nenana, Alaska to Nome. The famous dog Balto was the lead dog of the sled team that ran the final leg into Nome. The team endured a blizzard that prevented the musher, Gunnar Kaasen, from even seeing the dogs due to whiteout conditions. But Balto held the scent trail and led them and the serum safely to Nome to save many in the city from diphtheria. A statue of Balto stands in New York’s Central Park in tribute to the dogs that made the historic run to save the lives of the people in Nome.
The official race Web site is very nice and includes the latest news and information from the race as well as a map tracking the teams’ progress and more. It’s worth a visit.
Go doggies go!
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