2009 Iditarod: The Race to Nome

The Iditarod of 2009 begins on Saturday, March 7^th. The starting point is Anchorage , Alaska and the finish line is in Nome. A distance of over 1150 miles across Alaska. This race is expected to last anywhere from ten to seventeen days. Known as ''the toughest race'', ''the last great race on Earth'' and ''the race to Nome.''

Each year teams comprised of a musher and their sled 16 dogs train for this grueling but exhilarating race that first began in 1973. To complete the 1150 mile journey much planning, preparation and training is necessary. In fact the teams that are going to race this year have been preparing since last year's race. The summer months the mushers exercise their dogs regularly but on more of a recreational level such as jogging, hiking and playing vigorously. In the fall the harnesses are introduced and practice trails such as one mile runs are began with many dogs. Sometimes twenty or thirty. From these dogs the best sixteen are chosen from. From late fall into winter the dogs are trained to do their job and adjust to the ganglines that connect them to the other dogs and the sled. Late winter the dogs are trained to build up their stamina and endurance with runs from thirty to fifty miles long. It isn't just the dogs that need preparation. All food for the trip and supplies must be packaged and accounted for. There are eighteen checkpoints on the trail with certain supplies designated for drop off at each check point to be retrieved during the race. These supplies usually include spare sled parts, food for both the dogs and musher and extra mittens.

The Iditarod is not typical of other sporting events in that there are not divisions that separate men from women or professional from amateur. All participants are on equal footing for the prize, provided that they pay the whopping entry fee of four thousand dollars, fill out the numerous forms, run the qualifying races and are at least eighteen years of age. The winner of the Iditarod wins $68,000 cash and a new Dodge Ram truck. Don't despair though for those who don't win. Every musher that crosses the finish line receives $1049.00 cash. The last team that crosses the finish line has the honor of extinguishing the famous ''Widows Lamp'' in Nome that burns continuously from the beginning of the race. It is like the Olympic Torch of the sled dog race.