A new six-part series called Alaska's Great Race premieres on Discovery Channel on
Saturday, 3 January 2009 at 22h00.
The show tells the story of the historic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and takes a look at one of the harshest races on the planet.
Across frozen rivers, barren tundra, mountains and thick forest in freezing temperatures, this gruelling race from Anchorage (south-central Alaska), to Nome (north-western Alaska) in the United States, the race puts mushers and their team of dogs through a fierce test of human and animal teamwork and endurance.
The adventure's told through the eyes of the men and women who take on the monumental challenge, capturing on film some of the world’s most challenging terrain along the way.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race takes place annually and commemorates the legendary mushers who back in 1925 were called upon to bring serum to epidemic-stricken Nome and save the town from the Diphtheria that had overtaken it - thereafter the trail became a life-saving highway.
Mushers from around the world convene in Alaska each March to run the “Last Great Race on Earth.” Some prepare all year for the race while others fit in training around their full-time jobs.
Some are carrying on a proud family tradition while others are first generation mushers. The series follows eight of the teams as they compete against Mother Nature and each other.
History of the Iditarod TrailIn the early 1920's, settlers went to the North American state of Alaska following a gold strike. In the winter, the Iditarod trail became their major thoroughfare through the state. Mail was carried and supplies were transported along the route. Priests, ministers and judges travelled between villages via the dog team.
In early 1925, a deadly diphtheria epidemic threatened the isolated and icebound town of Nome, but the nearest antioxin serum was in Anchorage. A Pony Express-type relay of dog teams was quickly organised.
The serum was loaded on the newly completed Alaska Railroad and rushed to Nenana, where the first musher took it westward down the frozen Tanana River to the Yukon.
Every village along the route offered its best team and driver for its leg to speed the serum toward Nome. The serum arrived in time to prevent the epidemic and save hundreds of lives.
The 20 mushers had covered almost 1126 km’s in little more than 127 hours (about six days) in temperatures that rarely rose above -40°C, and winds sometimes strong enough to blow over dogs and sleds.
The serum-run received worldwide press coverage and the mushers were awarded special gold medals. A statue of Balto, the heroic lead dog, was erected a year later in New York’s Central Park and is still there today.
• The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race runs from Anchorage to Nome, stretching out over 1850 km’s across harsh, remote Alaskan wilderness.
• The first Iditarod race to Nome started on March 3 1973.
• There are 26 checkpoints along the northern race route and 27 checkpoints along the southern route.
• Each musher starts the race with 16 dogs, which means over 1,000 dogs leave Anchorage for Nome.
• In the 2008 race, 96 dog sled teams started the race and 78 teams finished each earning a coveted Iditarod belt buckle.
• The grand prize for the 2008 winner: $69,000 (€47,000) and a pickup truck.
• Musher Martin Buser holds the record for fastest race time, set in 2002: 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds.
• Carl Huntington won the 1974 race with the slowest winning time, 20 days, 15 hours, two minutes and seven seconds.
• The closest finish was in 1978. Dick Mackey finished one second ahead of Rick Swenson. Mackey’s time was 14 days, 18 hours, 52 minutes and 24 seconds. The winner was decided by the nose of the lead dog across the finish line.
• A Red Lantern is awarded to the last musher to finish. The longest time for a Red Lantern was 32 days, 15 hours, nine minutes and one second by John Schultz in 1973. The quickest Red Lantern musher was David Straub with a time of 14 days, 5 hours, 38 minutes and 12 seconds.
• Rick Swenson is the only five-time winner of "The Last Great Race," having won in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1991. He is the only person to win the Iditarod in three different decades, a record that will probably never be broken.
• Rick Mackey won the race in 1983 to become the first son of an Iditarod champion to match his father’s accomplishment. Lance Mackey won in 2007 to become the second son of an Iditarod champion. In addition, father and both sons were wearing bib number 13 when they crossed the finish line in first position, and all three won in their sixth Iditarod.