Popular Sled Dog Events
Iditarod
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, usually just called the "Iditarod", is an annual sled dog race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of typically 16 dogs cover 1,161 miles (1,868 km) in eight to fifteen days from Willow (near Anchorage) to Nome. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams, evolving into the highly competitive race it is today. The current fastest winning time record was set in 2021 by Dallas Seavey with a time of 7 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes, and 57 seconds.
Teams frequently race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, and sub-zero weather and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach -100°F (-73.3°C). The trail runs through the U.S. state of Alaska.
Source Wikipedia
For more information, visit www.iditarod.com
Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or Yukon Quest for short, is an annual sled dog race between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon. The race takes place in February, and because of the harsh conditions, difficult trail, and limited support that mushers are allowed, it is considered the most difficult sled dog race in the world, and has been called the toughest race in the world.
In the competition, which began in 1984, a single musher and a team of 6 to 14 sled dogs race for 10 to 20 days while following historic 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, mail delivery, and transportation routes between Fairbanks, Dawson City, and Whitehorse.
Source Wikipedia
For more information, visit www.yukonquest.com
All Alaska Sweepstakes
The All Alaska Sweepstakes is an annual dogsled race that takes place in Alaska over a 408 mile course. The course takes the participants in a circuitous route from Nome to Candle and back again. The 2008 race marked the 100th anniversary of the race, which claims to be the oldest long-distance sled dog race in the world.
Source Mahalo
For more information, visit http://www.allalaskasweepstakes.org
La Grande Odyssee Savoie-Mont-Blanc
Since the first event in January 2005, La Grande Odyssee Savoie Mont Blanc (LGO) has been the most difficult international sled-dog race in the world due to the type of mountains it runs through.
Each year it brings together 25 of the best mushers in the world: Along with their Alaskan and Siberian huskies, they cover more than 800 km of Savoie and Haute Savoie and climb more than 25,000 m through the massifs of the Franco-Swiss region of Portes du Soleil and along the valley of Haute Maurienne Vanoise via Mege and Notre Dame de Bellecombe.
With the legendary Iditarod and Yukon Quest, La Grande Odyssee Savoie-Mont-Blanc has established itself as the only major sled-dog race to be both a long distance race and a stage race.
Source Le Grande Odyssee official Site
For more information, visit http://www.grandeodyssee.com
Finmarkslopet
Finnmarkslopet is the world's northernmost sled dog race and has been held since 1981. Finnmarkslopet is actually two races. One race that is 600 km and running with up to 8 dogs and a run of 1200 km with a maximum 14 dogs in front of the sledge.
Both races start on the same day in the beginning of March in the largest city Finnmarks Alta. Mushers and dogs in the race across the Finnmark county to Kirkenes in the east, before they turn and run in part the same way back to the race in Alta. The shorter course is running mainly on the Finnmark Plateau.
Source translated from www.finnmarkslopet.no
For more information, visit www.finnmarkslopet.no
