Alaska is the most sparsely populated state in the United States with a little over 700,000 people. This cold state is most known for its diverse terrain and outdoor-themed TV shows, but not many know about one of the state’s largest events, the Iditarod, or the Last Great Race on Earth. The Iditarod is a dog sledding race which covers 1,000 miles of harsh Alaskan terrain. But this grand event was not created simply out of boredom by the Alaskan citizens; the race was created in the hopes of saving dog sled culture as well as Alaskan huskies, who are not needed as much with the use of the snowmobile in place of sleds. The race has also been an effort to preserve the trail between Seward and Nome. This trail originally began as a mail and supply route from coastal towns to interior mining camps, but is now a National Historic Trail. The trail definitely has earned such a title. In 1925, diphtheria, a serious infection of the nose and throat, threatened Alaskan citizens, and the serum was able to be brought to people in need because of the dog sled trail.

According to the Iditarod website, “Anchorage is the starting line. From there, the field of dog teams run 11 miles. After a restart in the Matanuska Valley, the mushers leave the land of highways and bustling activity and head out to the Yentna Station Roadhouse, Skwentna and then up through Finger Lake, Rainy Pass, over the Alaska Range and down the other side to the Kuskokwim River — into the interior and on to the mighty Yukon — a river highway that takes the teams west through the arctic tundra.” Every other year the route is alternated between its northern and southern routes. After this the trail goes along the coast. The trail’s route encompases large metropolitan areas as well as small native villages. The Iditarod is an event people of all ages from all around the world enjoy, and it is a grand economic opportunity for the state of Alaska.

Each musher has their own tactics and training schedule, but equipment every good participant will need includes an arctic parka, a heavy sleeping bag, an ax, snowshoes, musher food, dog food, and boots for each dog to protect against sharp ice and hard packed snow. Mushers often take the entire year to prepare, and many work other jobs. It takes rigorous training to endure such an epic race. Currently 72 mushers are entered in the race, with only a handful of these being rookies. Many mushers compete multiple times, gaining popularity with viewers. Rick Swenson, often referred to as the “King of the Iditarod”, has won five out of his 20 races, and has not appeared any lower than the top ten. Susan Butcher, four-time winner, was the first woman to ever place in the top ten, and in 1985, Libby Riddles was the first woman to ever win the Iditarod.

Upon the start of the race, profiles are posted for the mushers’ dog teams. Facts are given for each dog on a sled team such as their names, ages, breeds, and even simple fun facts about each dog, making the experience fun for even the youngest of children. What could be more fun than watching a team of dogs run for miles? This year the race begins at 10 a.m., on Saturday, March 4, and for those unable to fly to Alaska for the race’s big ceremony and various events, live footage is available on the Iditarod’s official website upon purchase.