| The Iditarod in Alaska has been called the "Last | | | | explanation of his victory from last year's (2007) |
| Great Race on Earth" and in recent years it has | | | | Iditarod winner Lance Mackey, "My success is not |
| become a world event. Film crews from Germany, | | | | about any interesting innovations, any new |
| Spain, England, Japan and America now cover the | | | | technologies, or any training practices that set me |
| dog sled race. The Iditarod has become popular with | | | | apart from the rest of the field. My success is a |
| outdoor magazines, adventure magazines, | | | | result of my team's success. My dogs are the ones |
| newspapers, and wire services. The race is a | | | | who set the standards. They, each of them |
| competition between rugged men and women (called | | | | individually, came together as one team and they |
| Mushers) who have a special bond with their dog sled | | | | accomplished something that is very special. I helped |
| teams against a common opponent, Mother Nature. | | | | keep them on the right trail, I helped keep them |
| The Iditarod is a truly unique competitive event, a | | | | warm. I helped keep them nourished; they kept their |
| race of 1150 miles across Alaska in the frigid month | | | | focus and I can't help but believe that intuitively they |
| of March through the roughest terrain on Earth. The | | | | knew exactly what they were doing. They knew |
| race navigates terrain across a frozen tundra which | | | | exactly what kind of history they were making." |
| includes rivers, windswept coastlines, mountains, and | | | | In fact, the strategy of the race is up to each |
| dense forests, all of which are covered with plenty | | | | individual team. Some run at night and some run in |
| of deep snow and ice. The weather conditions are | | | | the daylight. Each has a unique menu and training |
| extreme with temperatures and wind chill that are far | | | | program for their dog team. However, the rules of |
| below zero. Often, teams race through blizzards | | | | the race require that each team have standard |
| causing whiteout conditions in sub-zero weather with | | | | equipment: an arctic parka, a heavy sleeping bag, an |
| gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to | | | | ax, snowshoes, musher food, dog food and boots |
| reach -100 °F. The 2008 race will be the 36th | | | | for each dogs' feet to protect against cutting ice and |
| Iditarod race. Over the years, the length of time to | | | | hard packed snow injuries. |
| win the race has varied between nine days (two | | | | With about three weeks until the 2008 signup |
| years ago) and twenty days. | | | | deadline of November 30, 2007, the Iditarod Trail |
| Mushers enter the sled dog race from every | | | | Committee has announced that ninety mushers will |
| profession and nationality. Fishermen, lawyers, | | | | run in the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog event. Mushers |
| doctors, miners, artists, natives, Canadians, Swiss, | | | | will represent various countries throughout the world. |
| French and others; men and women each with their | | | | Participants from the United States, Canada, Norway, |
| own story, each with their own reasons for going | | | | Germany, Belgium, and Italy have already entered |
| the distance. The sled dog race is organized and run | | | | the 2008 Race. |
| primarily by thousands of volunteers, men and | | | | In 2008, five Iditarod champions will lead a field that |
| women, students, and village residents. In Alaska, the | | | | is full of some of the most highly competitive teams |
| race is a commemoration of the life saving highway | | | | in the world. 2007 Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey |
| that the Iditarod trail became in 1925. Mushers and | | | | will be joined by five time Iditarod Champion Rick |
| their dog sleds brought much needed serum to Nome | | | | Swenson, four time Iditarod Champions Jeff King and |
| to relieve a diphtheria epidemic. | | | | Martin Buser, and the 2004 Iditarod Champion, Mitch |
| The race distance provides long hours of darkness | | | | Seavey. |
| where a musher competes against the extreme | | | | The 2008 Iditarod Sled Dog Race is currently |
| conditions with only the companionship and assistance | | | | scheduled to start in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday |
| of his or her dog sled team. In this race against the | | | | March 1, 2008 at 10.00am. It is the next time you can |
| forces of nature, a musher's bond with his or her dog | | | | see the "Last Great Race on Earth. |
| sled team cannot be understated. Here is the | | | | |