The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is known as the Last Great Race on Earth. 

The Iditarod is the longest sled dog race in the world, crossing the State of Alaska from Anchorage to Nome, which is a distance of about 1,049 miles.  The race commemorates the Iditarod National Historic Trail, a route that led from Seward to Nome, Alaska and was used during the gold rush days to haul mail, supplies, and gold from the interior of Alaska to the steamships at the coast.  In 1925, part of this trail was used in the famous Serum Run, in which 18 dog teams relayed life-saving diphtheria serum 674 miles from Nenana to Nome to stop a diphtheria outbreak in Nome.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has been run every March since 1973.  In the race, a team consists of one driver (called a musher) and 16 dogs.  Supplies are sent out to checkpoints ahead of time, so mushers don't have to carry all their food and supplies in their sleds.  However, this is the only assistance allowed.  There is no help provided to a musher at any point during the race.  It's one person, 16 dogs, and no pit-crew.  It's quite an adventure.

For more information about the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, please visit the Iditarod's Official Website at www.iditarod.com