| The 54th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked offyesterday, with hundreds of dogs amassing at the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, before moving north to the official starting line. Thirty-four mushers will compete, with the race expected to end in mid-March.The race dates back to 1973, with cofounders Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr. seeking to honor the state’s mushing tradition. The race also honors Alaska’s Iditarod Trail—a 938-mile freight and mail route forged in 1908 that was later instrumental in responding to a diphtheria outbreak (see more, w/video). Though the first race (1,000 miles) lasted 20 days, dogs today have become faster, reaching the finish line in Nome in roughly 10 days. There are 12-16 dogs per sled to start, as some dogs exit due to injury; mushers must finish with at least five.Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke will join the fray in this year’s race in an honorary expedition capacity. He is contributing to the race’s purse, lifting the yield from $57K to $80K. |
