The Last Great Race

Taniel Bedrosian

Many people in the United States, as well as around the world have heard of the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. What many fail to recognize though, is how this Great
Race of Mercy came to be. In January of 1925 there was an epidemic of diphtheria
erupting in a small Alaskan town by the name of Nome. This disease, which is highly
contagious as well as lethal, was feared to have the capability to wipe out the entire
villages population. Dr. Curtis Welch, Nomes only doctor at the time, knew that it was
imperative to act fast and that the only way to prevent such a disaster was to get
ahold of an antitoxin that could deter the disease from spreading. There was one
problem. The only supply of the antitoxin was over 1,000 miles away in the city of
Anchorage. With the harsh winters of Alaska transportation options were limited. The
ice-filled seas made transportation by ship impossible. January temperatures are also
Alaskas coldest and can drop to negative 70-degrees Fahrenheit, making it impossible
for open-cockpit airplanes to deliver the serum by air. This left one option for providing
the village with support. They needed to transport the antitoxin by sled dog teams.
To make this possible there was an immediate response that included more than
20 mushers and more than 150 dogs. The closest rail system was located in Nenana,
another small village located about 700 miles from Nome. The serum was transported to
the village and upon arrival there awaited a sled dog team. On January 27, 1925 the
first team left Nenana under the command of Wild Bill Shannon. There were many
stations set up along the 700-mile trek across the Alaskan tundra. The longest and the
most important was that led by musher Leonhard Seppala, who had traveled 170 miles
from Nome to intercept the relay and now
had to turn around and make a 91-mile
return to the next checkpoint. Seppala
made it safely hours before the ice he had
just traveled across broke. He then handed
the reins to a musher by the name of
Gunnar Kaasen. Gunnar, relying on his lead
dog to navigate through a blizzard, made
the final two legs of the journey arriving in
Nome on February 2. This lead dog would
become a national icon, after which the
legend of Balto was born.
The epic trek was made in five and
a half days and after 3 and a half weeks
Dr. Curtis Welch was able to treat the
village and eradicate the disease. The mushers accompanied by their dogs became
Statue of Balto in Central Park, New York
heroes and held a nine-month tour around the
country. The heroic effort laid foundation to the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that is known today, but
which would have been lost had it been without the
revival efforts of Dorothy Page and Joe Redington
(The Father of Iditarod).
With the introduction of snowmachines and
improved airplanes much of the need for sled dogs
was diminished. Many had forgotten the historical
significance dog sleds had on the settlement of
Alaska. In 1964, a woman by the name of Dorothy
Page was charged with the task of looking into
historical events that had helped shape Alaska over
the previous 100 years. The year 1967 would mark the
centennial of Alaskas purchase from Russia. She
along with her first and most influential supporter, Joe Redington, would fight to start a
sled dog race on the old Iditarod trail to resurface a huge part of Alaskas tradition and
past. Their efforts succeeded and in 1967 the first sled dog race was held from Knik to
Big Lake. It wasnt until 1973, however, when the race was expanded to Nome that the
race really took hold and drew national and international attention. The current route
for the Iditarod race spans 975-998 miles from its start point in Anchorage to its end in
Nome. The route has been changed many times throughout the years to better ensure
the safety of the mushers and their dog teams. These changes have helped avoid the
more dangerous areas where wildlife and the natural environment pose the most risk,
though there is still most definitely substantial risk involved. There are two routes that the
Iditarod race holds. The Northern Route, which includes a 975-mile trek with 23
checkpoints, is the shorter of the two and is held on even years. The Southern Route is
the lengthier which is held on odd years, including a 998-mile trek with 24 checkpoints.
The reason the Iditarod Board of Directors chose to make use of both routes was to
lessen the burden on the villages, by having it pass through their towns only every other
year. The second reason was to allow the opportunity to pass through the ghost-town
of Iditarod along the Southern Route. Because of the length and terrain of the race,
there are many precautions and a lot of training that goes into preparing for the
Iditarod.
Training for the Iditarod demands a lot of time and preparation. Many people
believe that the mushers just ride along on the sled and enjoy the scenery. That illusion
couldnt be farther than the truth. During the race mushers are subject to a great
amount of physical as well as mental exhaustion. Mushers spend most of the race
peddling and steering on the sled. When they arent, they are running alongside the
dogs to keep warm. They also have to hike to camping spots and rest stations. In order
to keep up many mushers train year round to ensure they are in tip-top shape. Many
participate in marathons and triathlons and mentally prepare by eating right and
maintaining healthy sleep cycles. To ensure their dogs are in shape and healthy they
participate in other long-distance sled dog races in Alaska, as well as races held in
other states around the country. The dogs also are put on nutritious diets. There are also
many regulations and measures the Iditarod Board upholds to ensure the health and
readiness of the dogs. Every dog has to undergo screening lab work and blood panels
to ensure that everything is normal with their hearts and blood. They have to go through
physical examinations to evaluate the dogs hydration, appetite, and lung capacities.
Furthermore, at every checkpoint officials check the dogs to make sure they arent
subject to avoidable risks that could result in death. Not just any dog can participate in
the Iditarod because of these harsh conditions and physical requirements. A dog that is
eligible must be a sled dog. This means that a dog that is eligible must be a northern
breed that has a natural fur coat to protect them against the harsh environment.
Because of this, the most popular dogs (with the best traits) are Alaskan or Siberian
Huskies.
The Iditarod has attracted mushers from all over the world. There have been over
400 finishers of the race to date with participants from all over the United States,
Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Italy,
Japan, Austria, Australia, Sweden, and Russia. There are, however, many rules and
regulations in place that one must satisfy before they are eligible to enter. The entry
qualifications to enter the race are set by the Board of Directors of the Iditarod Trail
Committee, Inc. To be eligible each musher must participate in qualifiers to ensure the
mushers and their dogs are able to cover the long-distance on their own without the
aid of others. In addition, each musher must submit their report cards from their
qualifying races within 10 days of the race as well as their application, musher-release,
sponsor list, membership forms, all paperwork regarding dog care and eligibility, and an
entry fee for each entrant of $3,000.
In recent years the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has become one of Alaskas
richest traditions. It is not only a sporting event, but also an annual celebration to
commemorate the impact sled dogs and their teams have had on the history and
settlement of Alaska. For all the dog lovers, history buffs, and dog sports enthusiasts out
there; it is definitely a tradition worthy of your bucket lists.