Iditarod: Alaska's Ky. Derby

Although I have followed the Iditarod race for several years, it wasn't until our trip to Alaska last summer that I realized just how important this race was to the state. It's a lot like having the Kentucky Derby here in our state. It means money, national recognition, and a lot of state pride.

The race generates intense state pride. Everywhere we went there were signs, souvenirs, pictures, and talk of the Iditarod. Nearly every young person we talked to wanted to become a musher. Our bus driver, the waitress, the girl at the visitor's center all told us that their dream was to become a musher and race in the Iditarod. They take all kinds of jobs to finance their dream. They work for dog kennels for the experience and train all winter. It's an intense sport requiring dedication, great physical fitness, and lots of money. (dogs and equipment aren't cheap.)

However, the rewards are tremendous. Iditarod racers are the spotlighted athletes in the state. The few who are winners or finish in the top ten are as well known and popular as rock stars. They can be seen on billboards, television, cruise ships, books and endorsing all kinds of things. Most use their fame to create improvements in their villages or locales through programs, youth support, or corporate involvement. Everywhere they go they are greeted with autograph seekers and cameras. Children everywhere know the names of the winners and top finishers, like we know basketball players.

The race itself isn't the product of a grand business scheme but rather the result of literately hundreds of volunteers who work around the year to see that this race is accomplished. 1500 volunteers from 21 states and 4 countries will put in over 35,000 hours of time for this year's race. They will be doing everything from manning the COMM center (collecting data from the check points and posting in on the Internet) to working at the checkpoints to assist the mushers in finding places to bed their teams. Teams of veterinarians will be on hand to check each dog at every check point. Workers will monitor the times, speeds, conditions, weather, and mushers to report back to race headquarters. Volunteers will see that food is cooked, sleeping areas are clean, straw is available for the dogs, hot water ready to fix dog rations, supplies are ready for the next leg of the trip and to keep everything running smoothly.

For weeks volunteers have been collecting supplies and seeing that they are packaged and delivered to the check-point sites. Many of the communities are small, many under 200 people, so the strain of feeding the 67 mushers and numerous visitors, news people and support people is massive. Supplies are gathered and flown in to these villages to provide for the rush of people. The locals, however, are proud to be able to provide many of the dishes that will feed the racers. Each stop is a veritable feast for the humans. The dogs dine on food that has been supplied by each musher for his own animals. However, rather than attempt to haul that much food with them, it has been delivered to the check points by a virtual air force of small planes that have ferried in food and supplies.

All in all, it is a massive effort by the people of Alaska to see that the Iditarod race proceeds without a hitch. They can be proud of their race and the tremendous organization that goes into it.