Travelmaniac Iditarod Photos and Information


Known as "The Last Great Race", it pits musher and dogs against the elements as they race 1049 miles (1688 km) from Anchorage to Nome
These photographs are from the 1997, 2000, and 2001 Iditarod races

Cindy Gallea (Montana)
Anchorage 2001

Originally, the trail served as a supply route for materials from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to the gold fields and camps in Northwest Alaska in the early 1900's. Mushers hauled mail and supplies to towns such as Iditarod and Nome and brought out just-mined gold. In 1925, it gained international fame when a team of mushers and dogs raced against time and the elements to relay diphtheria serum to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race originated in 1973 to commemorate this life-saving trek.

Today, the race has grown into an international
contest with an average of 57 mushers from
Alaska, Canada, the lower 48, Europe and Japan and South America. The youngest musher ever to race was 18 years old, the oldest was 86 years old. Sled dog racing is the only professional sport where men and women compete equally; there are no men's and women's divisions. In 1985 Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the Iditarod. Susan Butcher won the next 3 consecutive years and again in 1990. A popular saying during the 1980's was "Alaska, where men are men, and women win the Iditarod".

the starting line - Anchorage 1997

The race starts on the first Saturday in March.
Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage is blocked off and transformed into a sled dog track. Musher's park along the length of Fourth Avenue and set-up for the race. Hundreds of cheering spectators line the street the morning of the race to watch the preparation and start of the Iditarod.

On Saturday, day 1 of the race, the teams proceed to the first checkpoint in Eagle River (17 miles) north of Anchorage where the sled dog teams then have to be trucked to a location further up the Matanuska Valley for a second race start the following day. This is due to the lack of snow and open water conditions in the areas north of Anchorage.

In 1997and 2001, the second start on Sunday was held in Willow on frozen Willow Lake. In 2000, the second start on Sunday was held in Wasilla.

starting line - Willow Lake 1997

musher set up - Anchorage 2000

musher set up - Willow Lake 2001

More than 2000 volunteers from all over the world come together to organize and run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Veterinarians, radio operators, pilots, snow machiners, students, retirees, and vacationers all combine their talents and time to insure the race runs smoothly.

To prepare their dogs, mushers maintain a scientific feeding and training schedule, just as any professional athlete does. The mushers know each dog's personality and physical abilities. In the middle of Alaska's wilderness, the dogs and their mushers share a unique bond of trust. The dogs are controlled solely by the musher's voice. They do not have any reins. The dogs often wear booties to help protect their feet.

The welfare of the dogs is the top priority for everyone involved in the race. During the race, veterinarians are stationed at every checkpoint where they continually monitor the dog teams and can provide medical treatment if necessary. A dog is pulled from the race for any physical ailments or exhaustion. A musher is automatically disqualified for any mistreatment of a dog.


	Dog teams are transported in trucks especially designed to carry a large number of dogs. Each dog has their own compartment for more congenial traveling. Many of the mushers are without corporate sponsors for financial support and must rely on their own resources for equipment.

Willow Lake 1997

The race is a journey through the heart of Alaska passing through small native villages, crosses two mountain ranges, runs along the Yukon River and over frozen Norton Sound to end at Nome. The checkpoint at the ghost town of Iditarod marks the halfway point in the race. Of the 26 checkpoints, only the first four are accessible by car; all other checkpoints can only be reached by air.

Extreme arctic blizzards, deep open water, and
moose attacks are the most dangerous obstacles for the teams. However, disorientation from lack of sleep, injuries, illness and getting lost are more common. Aiding those in trouble has long been a tradition in the race, even if it means abandoning their position to help a rival. Today, trails are marked with stakes, tape and reflectors. But even so, Alaska's bitter weather and unforgiving terrain will never guarantee a hazard-free Iditarod.

	Willow Lake 1997
A record finish for the race was in 2000 in just 9 days and 58 minutes, compared to the first race time in 1973 of 20 days and 15 hours. The race has changed from a friendlier camp-a-lot trek to a more competitive race. Improvements in trail conditions, dog breeding, better equipment and experience have also been major factors in reducing the race time.

Some of the information provided was taken from the "Iditarod Fact Book, A Complete Guide to the Last Great Race" edited by Sue Mattson published by Epicenter Press. This book and many other fascinating fun filled books on the Iditarod can be found at the Cook Inlet Book Company, Alaska's largest independent bookseller with the world's largest collection of books on Alaska and the North. You can find them at www.cookinlet.com