It’s a cold March day in Nome, Alaska. People are standing in the snow to watch the end of a race. They are not waiting for skiers. The amazing athletes that will cross the finish line are dogs!
It’s the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Teams from all over the world come to compete. Eac h team is made up of a human driver, called the musher, and up to twelve dogs. The dogs work together to pull a sled. The sled carries food, a tent, and other supplies. Why bring a tent? Because this race lasts for more than a week! The racers must travel over 1,800 kilometers to the finish line. It is the longest dogsled race in the world.
People have been using dogsled in Alaska for over one hundred years. During the cold winters, ice and snow kept ships and planes from bringing supplies. Dogsleds were the only way to deliver food, mail, and other necessary things.
In 1925, during a terrible winter, brave dogs and mushers helped to bring medicine to sick children in Nome. The first Iditarod race was held over thirty years ago. It was done to remember that very special event.
The Iditarod is a very difficult race. Along the way, dogs must pull the sled over steep, snowy hills, and across icy rivers. They often have to race in snowstorms and temperatures as low as -30°C. The dogs need to wear special boots that protect their feet. The dogs’ thick fur keeps them warm. They can sleep comfortably outside in the snow. Actually, the mushers must watch their dogs closely. They can easily get too hot from running. The teams usually race for six hours and then rest for another six hours.
The sled dogs need a lot of food to keep running. In a single day, they can eat over ten thousand calories. How much is ten thousand calories? That’s the same as you eating twenty hamburgers!
