Iditarod - the toughest sled race in the world
No sporting event in the world has tougher conditions than the famous sled dog race in Alaska. 1,800 kilometres have to be covered as quickly as possible at minus 50 degrees Celsius. This means snowstorms, freezing cold and up to two weeks without sleep. This race demands everything from man and beast.
With a wind chill of below -70 degrees, the terrifying whiteout and arctic temperatures, the mushers - as the drivers of the dog sled teams are called - battle their way across Alaska with their sled dogs. It's not just the animals that need a thick skin, but also their owners. Find out why the route is being moved further and further north and what else you need to know about the Iditarod here.
Idita...what?
This question does not arise in Alaska - for good reason. When a terrible diphtheria epidemic threatened the children of the Native Americans from Nome in 1925, 20 mushers transported the life-saving medicine with over 150 sled dogs across Alaska in almost six days to defeat the disease and cure the people. The dogs became heroes, the route became world-famous and the Iditarod was born. The first race did not actually take place until 1973. Incidentally, the name comes from the same place in the middle of Alaska.
The ceremony is followed by the race
Before the infamous sled dog race officially begins, it traditionally starts in Anchorage with a ceremony - for spectators, the media and publicity. For this, tonnes of snow are brought in by lorry - if necessary and thanks to climate change - and a track is laid out for the sledges on the roads. This allows spectators to experience the teams live and up close for a short period of around 30 kilometres before they disappear into the icy expanses of Alaska two days later at the regular start.
Once north, once south
In odd-numbered years, the official route takes a southerly route, while in even-numbered years, it is the north that has to be mastered. Due to climate change and global warming, both the southern and northern routes are shifted a little further north each year. Forced to do so because the Antarctic is also slowly but surely running out of snow. Over the last half century, global warming has caused the temperature in Alaska to rise by an average of three degrees - more than twice as much as in the rest of the country.
Better than any snowmobile
In the snow-covered fields and untouched forests of Alaska, there is no more sensible means of transport than sled dogs. The cold even freezes the petrol and means that people have to rely completely on the dogs. What's more, the four-legged friends are also cheaper than any motorised transport option - all they need is food, a home and a few cuddles. Even more important, however, is the fact that the sled dogs at the Iditarod skilfully avoid hidden water holes or snow-covered ice crevasses, for example. Or at least bring the musher's sled to a halt in front of them. No snowmobile can do that.
Six hours of racing, six hours of rest
Rest for the dogs is just as important as for the humans. Because the image of the dogs running at the front and the mushers marvelling at the landscape on their sleds at the back is wrong. The musher runs at least half of the almost 2,000 kilometres or even pushes the sled himself. During the rest periods, the dogs are fed, their paws and coats are checked, and they are also stroked and cuddled. Melting snow so that the four-legged friends can drink and massaging their bodies are also part of a musher's duties. After the sled has been checked and something to eat, it's time for some sleep. If a musher gets an hour's sleep, he can count himself lucky.
Unknown heroes
In this country, only die-hard Iditarod fans know some of the mushers - for example father Mitch and son Dallas Seavey, one of whom won the race between 2012 and 2017. This year, only the father will be at the start. The participants mainly come from Alaska, but mushers from snow-averse regions such as Texas and Australia are also represented. Women have long since acquired a taste for the event, with 17 women competing in 2018. One of them, Marcelle Fressineau, was born in Switzerland, is 63 years old and lists her hobbies as outdoor activities and writing books.
The real heroes
In addition to all the people involved, the numerous sponsors and all the publicity, the real heroes tend to be forgotten: the dogs. The most important position is that of the two lead dogs at the front of the team. Guinness and Diesel, Digger and Nugget, Reece and Hero or Mattie and Granite are celebrated in Alaska like Neymar and Messi, Ronaldo and Bale or Müller and Lewandowski in Europe. Without the instinct, experience and calmness of the sled dogs, even the best musher has no chance. Last but not least, the chemistry, harmony and psychology between animal and human must be right in order to arrive victorious - or at all - in Nome.
Everything for the dog
The numerous regulations show that man's best friend is not just abused as a motor: there are compulsory breaks, vets regularly check the health of the animals, straw as a base ensures that the dogs don't have to sleep on the cold snow, they are dressed in special shoes and coats and they are always given their food in front of the musher. It is sad, but also understandable, that such races do not always take place without injuries or worse. What also needs to be mentioned, however, is the fact that sometimes - and above all illegally - dogs that are too slow are still shot, breaks for the animals are not observed and the four-legged friends are not kept in a species-appropriate manner. However, the organisers are working diligently with animal rights activists to rigorously punish such actions and keep them out of the competition.
When I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.