The Iditarod Dog Sled Race - 2015
By: Barbara Denzer. Posted: Feb, 28, 2014
Warm temperatures almost caused the famous Iditarod dog sled race to be moved from Anchorage to Fairbanks Alaska. But this week temperatures dropped and race officials followed tradition, starting it in Anchorage. The pre-race celebration includes the teams taking an 11 mile trek around the sled dog trails created in the city. This allows teams to show off their fabulous dogs. Fans gather to celebrate the race, cheer their chosen team and admire them all! Tomorrow it’s on to the Official starting point in Willow, almost 50 miles north of Anchorage, where the race officially starts.
Often called “The Last Great Race,” this is the 42nd running of the Iditarod, a 1,000 mile sled dog race from Willow to the finish line on Front Street in Nome, Alaska. It takes about 10 days for the teams to cover the rough terrain (about 100 miles a day!) over mountains, across both the Yukon and the Yentna rivers and finish the mush along the frozen shore of the Bering sea. Temperatures have been known to vary as much as from 50 below zero to 50 above zero during the race, but mostly they’re very cold!
How the Iditarod Race Works
There are 24 “checkpoints” along the route where they can warm up, rest and eat. Each team must be checked in at each point to prove they run the entire race. They also have GPS trackers. You can sign up to follow them on GPS on the official www.Iditarod.com website. You can also check the weather at each checkpoint!
Get the Iditarod APP
http://iditarod.com/mobile-app
Facebook Page: Iditarod Trail Committee
Play Games, Watch Videos, Take Quizzes, Get Information and Embark on a Scavenger Hunt! http://iditarod.com/teachers/students/
The Top 10 Dog Sled Teams of the Iditarod 2014
There are a total of 69 Teams Entered in the 2014 Iditarod Race. Teams Start the Race Every 2 minutes
- Bib 2 Curt Peranos lead off at 10 am
- Bib 3 Paige Drobny
- Bib 4 Gus Guenther
- Bib 5 Dan Kaduce
- Bib 6 Mitch Seavey
- Bib 7 Michael Williams, Jr.
- Bib 8 Yvonne Dabakk
- Bib 9 Newton Marshall
- Bib 10 Aliy Zirle
- Bib 11 Richie Diehl
See the Other Mushers and check their standings everyday at: http://iditarod.com/race/2014/standings/
One of the most famous leaders of the race to take anti-biotics to the children of Nome in 1926
