Founder Believes Iditarod Has Strayed Too Far From Its Roots

The Iditarod is not what it used to be, says its founder, Joe Redington. Too fast. Too impersonal. Too competitive.

But none of that will keep him away - at age 80 - from the race’s 25th running.

A crusty old dog who seems to have changed less over the years than the race itself, Redington plans to be at the starting chute in Anchorage to compete in his 20th Iditarod.

His last race was in 1992, when he placed 41st among 63 finishers.

When Redington organized the first Iditarod in 1973, the historic gold-rush trail hadn’t been used for 40 years. He promised racers a $50,000 purse but still didn’t have a dime in the bank by the time mushers left for Nome.

He says the race has cost him all his money and most of his time, but he adds that he has no regrets.

Well, maybe one:

“I was 57 when I raced my first Iditarod in 1974,” he says. “I’d like to have had a shot at this darn thing when I was 30.”