IDITAROD XXXV Starts March 3, 2007

Iditarod XXXV Starts March 3 in Anchorage Alaska

Beginning in 1973 the Iditarod Race was established to honor those who took part in the Great Serum Run of 1925 to carry the diptheria anti-toxin to Nome and stem the epidemic there. Each year better teams report for the annual event which begins the first Saturday of March and ends with the first musher and team across the finish line in Nome. Theoretically the race is not over until the last team is into Nome. This year 83 teams of sled dogs and their owners are taking part in “the last great race on earth. “ With the warming of the past few years the race which used to officially start in Anchorage now has just a ceremonial start there and the official start has been moved to Willow where there is a snow packed trail.

This year, being an odd numbered year, the southern trail will be used. The quoted distance of the Iditarod Race is always 1,049 miles, for Alaska being the 49^th state, but in truth the distance varies yearly due to weather and snow conditions. The approximate distance of the southern trail is 1,112 miles.

If you have ever had any interest in the Iditarod you will want to check out their official website where you can read everything you want to know about it. There are even lots of photos and a 19 minute TV clip well worth watching.

http://www.iditarod.com/

Also another very good website for Iditarod coverage is sponsored by Cabela’s.

http://www.cabelasiditarod.com/index.html

There will no doubt be TV coverage but as yet I have not found that announcement. Keep tuned in to these websites for information on this. Last year’s Iditarod XXXIV was shown in two segments on the Outdoor Living Network.

I use these websites for information to take to my second grade classroom since we follow the progress of the Iditarod each year. It is a wonderful teaching tool and the Iditarod site includes a section for teachers. There is also a sled dog reporter named Zuma who puts out regular reports under the teachers heading.

Remember these dates and times:

03/03/2007
Ceremonial Race Start
Begins 9:30am AST / 1:30pm EST

03/04/2007
Official Race Restart
Begins 1:45pm AST / 5:45pm EST

Current weather report from Anchorage shows the temperature to be 18 degrees.

Please join me in the experience of the 35^th Iditarod Race.