It has been called the Last Great Race.
It is long and arduous and is truly unlike any other journey in the world. Imagine, if you can, a two week odyssey through the heart of the frozen Alaskan wilderness. The endurance test of a lifetime will take you 1,200 miles through scantly touched forests, across frozen rivers, including the mighty Yukon, which at points stretches more than two miles from shore to shore and where overflow lies in wait for the unsuspecting, across dizzying mountain peaks that would humble ordinary men, through remote native villages few outsiders have seen to an isolated, windswept point on the Bering Sea just south of the Arctic Circle.
This is not a journey for the weak willed among us. Every movement calculated, every obstacle surveyed with utmost care, as though your very life depends on it, for even the smallest misstep can prove fatal. What is this ultimate test of man?
Established as a
National Historic Trail in 1978, the trail was originally used as a mail and supply route from Seward to the western coast communities on the Bering Sea. In 1925 the trail was made famous when a team of mushers and their hard working sled dogs delivered lifesaving diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles to Nome, saving countless lives.
The running of the Iditarod is a commeration of those yesterdays, a not-so-distant past that Alaskans honor and are proud of.
The current record holder is Martin Buser who, along with his incredible team, ran the 1,200 mile race in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 41 seconds. Think you've got what it takes to knock Martin out of the top slot?
Read up on Iditarod trivia and when you're ready read the current Iditarod rules and download the race application forms. Me? I'll be monitoring the race from the comfort of the den. I've made several treks across the Alaskan wilderness - tales of survival I'll save for another day.
Searching for a new home with a somewhat less daunting commute? We can help! Search Fairbanks homes for sale or sign up for our Realty Retriever - he'll automatically send you new listings as they become available without even mussing the corners of the page.
Next Stop: Camping In The Interior
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