2009 Iditarod Sled Dog Race

When I was in third grade, we had a school project where every night one student was required to call up the Iditarod hotline and get the latest rankings to report to everyone the next day of class (this was before the Internet). The Iditarod was no small feat – bitter snowstorms, subzero temperatures, incredible physical exertion – but in my imaginative third-grade mind, it was that much more horrible. I imagined trails that lasted for months, yetis at every turn, dead mushers by the truckload. Needless to say, I was really into it!

It’s also needless to say that when the school project only lasted about ten days, I was pretty disappointed. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how difficult completing the Iditarod is, even without battling abominable snowmen.

Why not capture a bit of the thrill yourself by hopping a plane up to Anchorage, Alaska and catching the Iditarod Opening Ceremony? Stories to tell when you get home guaranteed.

The 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race begins on March 7, 2009 on Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. While the specifics of the opening ceremony vary from year to year, you can expect a number of things: a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a celebration of the competitors’ home countries, lots of press, lots of people, lots of dogs, lots of fanfare, and maybe even an appearance by former Vice Presidential hopeful and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The first musher heads out at 10:00 a.m.

The Iditarod Sled Dog Race was first run in 1973 and began for the reason so many of our most revered competitions and events began: to keep tradition alive. As sophisticated roadways, snowmobiles and airplanes made their move on Alaska, the necessity of the sled dog fell to the wayside. Joe Redington Sr. and Dorothy Page, too seemingly average imports from the lower 48, collaborated with a group of mushers to establish a race in honor of the proud sled dog tradition. Named after the Iditarod Trail, the race has been the world’s premier sled dog competition since the very first run.

The Iditarod is 1,161 miles in length with 25-26 checkpoints the mushers must visit, depending on his or her route. The race is run by 60 to 80 teams, with an average winning time of a little over 9 days. During the race, mushers and their dogs face blizzards, blinding whiteout conditions, severe temperatures as low as -100° F and gale force winds, not to mention internal factors like hunger, fatigue and dementia (ok, maybe not dementia). While completing the race is a celebrated achievement, the primary concern of the mushers is the safety and well-being of their dogs.

For more general Iditarod information, click here. For event schedules and official news, click here.

Head to Anchorage for the 2009 Iditarod Opening Ceremony, but stay for a fantastic Alaska vacation. For Anchorage hotels, we love the Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites. They’re located just south of downtown less than a mile from Fourth Avenue, so it’ll be a quick trip to the opening ceremony, and smart, boutique-style amenities will keep you comfortable during those long Alaska nights.

For more Alaska vacation ideas, check out our post on the Fur Rondy Festival.

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