The 2007 Iditarod gets underway on Saturday, March 3rd. The annual dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska covers an 1150 mile course in roughly 10 to 17 days. The Official Site has the latest news on the event, background information on it's history, and an interactive map on the front page showing all the legs of the race.
Hailed as "The Last Great Race on Earth", the Iditarod has become an iconic event, with epic tales of adventure and survival on the trail. The Mushers are household names in Alaska, and the dogs themselves are legendary. This year's event should be another amazing race to follow, with Jeff King, and his team led by the already famous Salem (pictured), looking to defend their crown. Last year, King trailed four-time champion Doug Swingley by a considerable margin, before he put Salem at the front of the pack, and not only closed the distance, but left the field behind, en route to his fourth championship.
There will be others vying for the crown as well, like two time Yukon Quest, and current record holder, Lance Mackey, who has struggled in the Iditarod in the past, but has all the tools to be a champion. Mitch Seavey makes it a family affair with his three sons all competing as well. And lets not forget DeeDee Jonrowe who isn't going to concede anything to the boys. Especially since she has 24 Iditarods under her belt, and would love to cross the finish line in first place.
Like last year, I'll post updates on the race as it happens. It was an exciting race to follow last year, and hopefully this year will be the same. And for the record, as of this writing, it's -15 degrees F in Wasilla, where the race proper starts on Sunday, following it's ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment