9 Things You May Not Know About The Iditarod Sled Dog Race
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Trivia
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is the most famous sled dog race in the world. It was first held in 1973 and is held once a year and covers the approximately 1,151 miles from Wasilla to Nome, Alaska. There is a ceremonial start of the race that takes place in Anchorage before the actual restart in Wasilla.
So, here are:
9 Things You May Not Have Known About The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race – Part One
- The first person to win the Iditarod Race who was not from Alaska was Doug Swingley of Montana in 1995.
- In 1985 Libby Riddles became the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
- The section of trail that goes down Dalzell Gorge drops 1,000 feet in five miles.
- 34 mushers entered the first true Iditarod race in 1973 and 22 completed the course.
- The actual Iditarod Trail which the Iditarod Race covers portions of was one of the first trails designated as a National Historic Trail in 1978.
- The race was suspended for the first time in 1985 when bad weather prevented the delivery of the supplies to the checkpoints ahead of the racers.
- The Iditarod Race was named after the Iditarod Trail which in turn was named after the town of Iditarod. The origin of the word Iditarod is thought to come from Athabaskan word “haiditarod” meaning “far off place”.
- Race rules state that anyone who has ever been convicted of animal neglect may not participate as a competitor in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
