Iditarod Dog Sled Race

Iditarod History
The most famous dog sled race in the world, the Iditarod, is a race from Anchorage, AK to Nome AK. The race occurs every March, with at least 50 competing mushers who start out in Anchorage. Each sled team starts with up to 16 dogs. The fastest team may finish in ten days after traveling about 1000 miles on the unpredictable trail where they may endure severe sub-zero weather and a white out blizzard. Wild life may be encountered as well.
The sport was introduced to Alaska by the Inuit ancestors about a thousand years ago. The native tribes relied on the dogs for transportation on trails and coincidentally creating the modern day Iditarod route. Miners relied on dogs for transportation by the late 1800s, which remained
Last place sled gets a special lantern for bravery ("The Iditarod Dog Sled Race").
The sport was introduced to Alaska by the Inuit ancestors about a thousand years ago. The native tribes relied on the dogs for transportation on trails and coincidentally creating the modern day Iditarod route. Miners relied on dogs for transportation by the late 1800s, which remained until being replaced by snowmobiles and planes in 1925. Unfortunately, in 1925 a diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome and there was no way to bring medicine to Anchorage("The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race").
Today, mushers have the luxury to use high-tech sleds and gear. Last place sled gets a special lantern for bravery ("The Iditarod Dog Sled Race").
The goal is to convince the team that there isn't a dog team anywhere in the world that could run as fast or run as far as their team. The dogs feel confident and excited when they are pulling a sled, a small sled can fly over the snow and cause excitement. This excitement makes the dogs run faster and further. The training is worth it, because in the end, a strong and healthy team gets to burst out of the starting chute, showing the strength and beauty of the team, even if they win or lose ("ISDRA Sled Dog