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Race day
The more than 1,000-mile Iditarod race will begin March 2 in Anchorage. It ends in Nome, Alaska. The race, which pits man and animal against nature, has been called the Last Great Race on Earth. It takes the winner about eight days to complete the trail. The race ends when the final musher crosses the finish line. For more information, go to Iditarod.com.
Iditerod facts
• The first Iditerod race to Nome was held in 1973.
• The teams average 16 dogs, which means more than 1,000 dogs leave Anchorage for Nome. The men who drive the teams of dogs are known as mushers.
• The largest number of mushers to finish a race was 77 in 2004.
• A red lantern is awarded to the last musher to cross the finish line. It started as a joke but now has become a symbol of stick-to-it-tiveness in the mushing world.The longest time for a Red Lantern was 32 days, 15 hours, nine minutes and one second.
— Source: iditerod.com
