Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

The Iditarod is a competitive race held in Alaska that spans over 1150 miles and is called “The Last Great Race on Earth”. Teams consisting of 12-16 dogs with their musher cover the distance in 10-17 days. The race terrain includes mountain ranges, frozen rivers, forests, tundra in below zero temperatures. The weather can be hazardous let alone the environment.

The race is described as pitting man and dog against nature. There are regulations in place that insist particular equipment as must haves such as an arctic parka, sleeping bag, snow shoes, musher food, dog food and boots for the dog’s feet to protect their feet from ice and snow. There are veterinarians posted along check points to monitor the health of the dogs and administer aid when necessary.

To read more about the yearly race, please click here.

This year marked the 37th event and the race began on March 7 yet there is already a winner. Lance Mackey won this year covering the distance in 9 days and 21 hours. This is his third consecutive win. His 15 member dog team included 6 dogs that had been on his previous winning teams.

The race isn’t without controversy. As of March 20 three dogs have died in the 2009 race. The causes of their deaths are unknown at this point. Animal rights groups think the race is cruel to the dogs and protest the treatment of the dogs before the race even begins. They object that the cruelty to sled dogs starts from their birth till their deaths. To read more about the Sled Dog Action Coalition, please click here.