An Alaskan tradition : The Iditarod has been an annual sporting event since , bringing hundreds of spectators and mushers competitors from across the world. Teams of dogs: There are 12 to 16 dogs on each team. At least five dogs must be in harness pulling the sled at the finish line. Health check: Veterinarians check over dogs at the Puntilla Lake checkpoint during the race.
Iditarod — Bundle up: Iditarod spectators must brave Alaskan weather to get a glimpse of their favorite teams. End of the line: The town of Nome is the end of the trail, where the famous Iditarod "burled arch" forms the finish line. March 15, - Dallas Seavey wins his fifth Iditarod. March 18, - Thomas Waerner wins his first Iditarod.
The race ranges from to miles long, depending on whether the southern or northern route is being run. The length can also vary from year to year based on course conditions. Read More. The race traditionally begins on the first Saturday in March, starting in Anchorage and ending in Nome. The beginning of the race in Anchorage is considered a ceremonial start. The competitive part of the race usually begins the next day in Willow, but depends on weather conditions.
There may be only one musher person who drives the sled per team. There are dogs on each team. The most popular breed of dog is the Alaskan Husky, according to National Geographic.
The animals get tested for strength and endurance before being selected. There are about 25 checkpoints at which each participant must stop. The musher must make a mandatory 24 hour stop at some point during the race. The route alternates every other year, one year going north through Cripple, Ruby, and Galena, the next year going south through Iditarod, Shageluk, and Anvik.
Most Consecutive Wins - Lance Mackey won four consecutive times from Most Wins - Rick Swenson won five times, in , , , and Dallas Seavey also won five times, in , , , and It not only helped the dog driver find his destination at night, but more importantly, it signified that a team or teams were somewhere out on the trail. The lamp was not extinguished until the musher safely reached his destination. This lamp, which will be attached to the Burled Arch, our official finish line, will remain lit as long as there are mushers on the trail competing in the race.
All too often, public and media think of the race as being over when the winner crosses the finish line, yet there are still teams on the trail. Let it be remembered, Iditarod is not over until the last musher has reached Nome and is off the trail. An article several years ago in Alaska magazine states that the first red lantern was awarded in the Fur Rendezvous Race.
According to Alaska ,. It started as a joke and has become a symbol of stick-to-itiveness in the mushing world. What are microchips? Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice. The process is quick and easy. Microchips are small enough to fit inside of specially designed hypodermic needles, which enables them to be injected in a manner similar to vaccinating.
The needles are sterile and disposed of as clinical waste. Microchip use is not restricted to dogs, but is applicable to all animal species. Animals of any age may receive a microchip implant. They are safe and do not cause any discomfort.
How do the chips work? Special low powered readers have been designed to send a radio signal, which empowers the chip to transmit a specific code. Each chip has its own eight digit number, and extreme care is taken in the manufacturing of the chips to ensure that there are no duplicates. Animals of any age can be injected with the microchip. Puppies and kittens are can have their chips injected during their initial vaccine series or at any time in their life.
Other animals can be treated the exact same way. There are several companies that are presently making microchips. By race rules, all dogs preparing to compete in the Iditarod are required to be identified by a microchip.
Those not already having a chip from previous races will receive one at the time of their pre-race blood work and ECG recordings. Veterinarians or veterinary technicians perform Microchipping. Typical costs to the owner include the veterinary charges for implanting the chip and a registration fee.
A registry is maintained by AVID for locating owners of found animals. Access to this information is attained via an number, twenty-four hours a day. Owners pay a one-time fee for registration. There are no annual fees; but there is a charge for information changes such as change of address.
Change of ownership requires a new registration. In the Iditarod Race, dogs are marked in two ways, by the microchip identification system and by collar tags. Each tag has the bib number of the musher and a letter of the alphabet.
The musher puts the tags on the dogs prior to the start in Anchorage on Saturday. The returned dog coordination office at the Millennium Hotel has a copy of this list and if for any reason they cannot get a scan on a dog, they can use the tag. However, the musher must be careful to make sure that the information is accurate.
When a musher leaves a dog at a checkpoint, he fills out a form on that dog and the checker scans the dog for the microchip and checks the collar tag. The prisons also have a copy of the paperwork and a microchip reader. Each dog is rechecked when picked up to insure the correct dog is released to the handler.
November 11, In , she broke her own record by finishing in 11 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes and 13 seconds. She broke her record again in when she finished in 11 days, 1 hour, 53 minutes and 23 seconds. In , Jeff King broke all previous records by running the first 10 day race, finishing in 10 days, 15 hours, 38 minutes and 15 seconds.
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