The Last Great Race

Dog mushing is Alaska's state sport and I love to support it wholeheartedly when I can.

The Iditarod, known as "The Last Great Race", is a 1,100 mile sled dog race through the wilds of Alaska from Anchorage to Nome. It retraces the steps of an historic relay by dog sled in the 1920s of lifesaving diphtheria serum to an outbreak of the disease in a tiny isolated village on the northwest coast of Alaska.
The dogs are the true athletes in this race, while the mushers are one tough bunch , too. This year's race was a real event to watch unfold through race updates and news reports from along the trail. The winning team reached Nome in less than 9 days, one of the quickest runs in the 38 year history of the race. If you've ever followed a long distance sled dog race, you know that it's like a slow-motion NASCAR event, with fans cheering on their favorite musher and team. The difference is that the fans of this race can actually meet the mushers and their dogs, everyone is quite accessible and it's like being in "pit row".
If you ever get the chance, come to Alaska during the first weekend in March and enjoy the start of the race (held over two days)... and if you're REALLY adventurous, fly to Nome and watch the finish!