Iditarod 2011 Begins: 1,150 Mile Dog Sled Race

by Jordan Yerman | March 7, 2011 at 09:42 am

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Iditarod 2011 Begins in Alaska

The Iditarod ("the last great race on Earth") is underway in Alaska. 63 mushers will drive their dog teams through 22 checkpoints along the 1,150-mile course from Willow to Anchorage. Each sled has a team of between 12 and 16 dogs. The dog of choice: mixed-breed Siberian Huskies. (Iditarod route map)

Lance Mackey is tipped to repeat his 2010 victory, though he has stiff competition from Rick Swenson, the only person to have won the Iditarod five times. Should Mackey triumph, he, too, will be a five-time winner. (Live Iditarod 2011 standings)

Sled Dogs Slaughtered in Whistler

History of the Iditarod

The Iditarod has its roots in history. In 1925, dog sleds were used to transport medicine to Nome, which was suffering a Diptheria outbreak. Mushers led dogs up the Iditarod Trail, as Nome is icebound in winter and inaccessible by sea. The Iditarod run was known as "the great race of mercy". Mushers relayed the serum northward, with Gunnar Kaasen as the musher who finally delivered the serum. His lead dog, Balto, became a folk hero, and his remains were preserved at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. (You may also remember the animated film Balto, based on the Diptheria dogsled run)

The modern Iditarod race was started in 1965, with a 25-mile course.