If you think all sports are cancelled, you’d be wrong. The “Last Great Race on Earth,” the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, is happening now in the treacherous Alaska wilderness.
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[Transcript]
1. The 57 Iditarod teams brave the toughest conditions to travel nearly 1,000 miles through Alaska from Anchorage to Nome. The race, which started in 1973, takes around 15 days and teams battle windy conditions and temps as low as 45 below. For a little comparison (although it’s like comparing apples to oranges), the Tour de France covers 2,200 miles in 23 days with two days of rest. REGARDLESS, WE’RE TIRED ALREADY
2. One musher averages 16 dogs on a team, generally Siberian Huskies, so that means around 1,000 dogs leave the starting line on day one. Much like your quarantine, the dogs consume over 10,000 calories a day during the race. BUT THEY’RE PROBABLY NOT CONSUMING NEARLY AS MUCH WINE
3. A tradition that goes back to the days when dog sled teams were like your local UPS driver, teams relied on a series of roadhouses between their village destinations. The roadhouses would burn a lantern to relay their location to a driver but also to signify to the villagers that a team was out on the trail. The Widow’s Lamp is still lit on the first Sunday of March at the finish line and will stay lit until all the teams cross the finish line. Extinguishing the lamp signifies the end of the race. A BEACON OF LIGHT
4. It’s one of two sporting events still happening in the U.S., and race officials are of course taking coronavirus precautions. These teams often go 200 miles in harsh weather without a refresh in supplies so the checkpoints are critical. Some stops have changed with schools closing and villages taking precautions. One stop was moved and signs were posted saying that mushers can expect veterinarians and supplies, but nowhere inside to sleep and no access to the village. Woof. The fan favorite “Meet the Musher” event was cancelled along with all post-race celebration events. THAT'S RUFF
5. The race runs one direction on the trail in even years (northern trail), and the opposite in odd-numbered years (southern). Why? To share the love with villages along the trail. TOURISM AT ITS BEST
Since the original recording of the podcast, a winning team has crossed the finish line in Nome, Alaska. Regardless, we are still a long way away from this race being over with 56 teams still out on the trail.
