Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

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‘A little scary’: Iditarod begins with smallest field ever

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The second half-century for the world’s most famous sled dog race is getting off to a rough start.

https://apnews.com/article/iditarod-trail-sled-dog-race-alaska-97ff49fec9a53a7e609498dd12f6063b?

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Heat takes toll as Iditarod mushers trek across Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Mushers and their dogs in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race face plenty of variables in the Alaska wilderness. An unexpected one this year has been heat that is taking a toll in a sport better suited for temperatures well below zero.

https://apnews.com/article/alaska-iditarod-dog-race-heat-da7a319a742ca90e0cf75bb86396a995?

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Defending champion leaves Iditarod race over health concerns

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Brent Sass, the defending Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion, withdrew from this year’s race on Saturday, citing concerns for his health.

https://apnews.com/article/iditarod-sled-dog-race-alaska-sass-2400c05fe7b6a746bb7000fea837db0c?

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Grandson of Iditarod co-founder wins Alaska sled dog race

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Ryan Redington on Tuesday won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, bringing his six dogs off the Bering Sea ice to the finish line on Nome’s main street.

https://apnews.com/article/iditarod-2023-ryan-redington-wins-a9b7d7a789bf032e3d1538058901b249?

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Dog deaths revive calls for end to Iditarod, the endurance race with deep roots in Alaska tradition

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — For the past five years, Alaska’s annual Iditarod sled dog race has gone off mostly free of controversy, as teams of dogs and their mushers braved the elements in the 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) test of endurance across the frozen wilderness.

https://apnews.com/article/iditarod-dog-deaths-alaska-sled-race-70af183019c93edb3448000cbfb60f4b?

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Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes wins longest-ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Jessie Holmes, a former reality television star, won the longest-ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday, celebrating with fist pumps to a cheering crowd and posing for photos with his two floral wreath-adorned head teammates, Hercules and Polar.

https://apnews.com/article/iditarod-sled-dog-race-alaska-winner-4dd2eaa2161984ef826dd3ad3c6f31ab?

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Dog Sled Race Begins

The 54th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off yesterday, with hundreds of dogs amassing at the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, before moving north to the official starting line. Thirty-four mushers will compete, with the race expected to end in mid-March. The race dates back to 1973, with cofounders Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr. seeking to honor the state’s mushing tradition. The race also honors Alaska’s Iditarod Trail—a 938-mile freight and mail route forged in 1908 that was later instrumental in responding to a diphtheria outbreak (see more, w/video). Though the first race (1,000 miles) lasted 20 days, dogs today have become faster, reaching the finish line in Nome in roughly 10 days. There are 12-16 dogs per sled to start, as some dogs exit due to injury; mushers must finish with at least five. Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke will join the fray in this year’s race in an honorary expedition capacity. He is contributing to the race’s purse, lifting the yield from $57K to $80K.

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Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes repeats as champion of the grueling Iditarod sled dog race

NOME, Alaska (AP) — Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes cruised to a repeat victory in the Iditarod, the roughly 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) sled dog race in Alaska.

https://apnews.com/article/iditarod-sled-dog-race-champion-jessie-holmes-65ac1878e21b68f545d77255cec77f96?