25th Iditarod Kicks Off With Traditional Sprint

The howls and barks of nearly 900 sled dogs echoed through the streets of Anchorage Saturday as the 25th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race got under way.

Fifty-three mushers set out under clear skies with the temperature hovering near 10 degrees. For the ceremonial start, it was just a short, 13-mile jaunt to Eagle River.

The real race begins today with a re-start in Willow, 75 miles to the north. It’s expected to wrap up about nine days later in Nome, about 1,150 miles down the trail.

Eighty-year-old Joe Redington was the first musher to leave the starting chute, standing on the sled runners as a team of 16 huskies raced down the street. Race organizers gave him the No. 1 position to honor his role in founding the race.

For three of the mushers in this year’s race, it’s a trip down memory lane. Ken Chase, Dan Seavey and Raymie Redington ran in the first Iditarod in 1973. While much about the race has changed over the years, some things haven’t, Seavey said.

“Basically, it’s the same deal. We’ve got dogs and sleds and we’re trying to get them to Nome,” he said. Seavey finished third in 1973 and fifth in 1974. This time, Seavey’s son, Mitch, is in the race and Dan is running a team of dogs from his son’s kennel.

“I want to bring them into Nome smiling, I’m not necessarily racing them,” the elder Seavey said.

There was a carnival-like atmosphere, with vendors hawking T-shirts and commemorative pins. Thousands of tourists milled about among the dog teams taking pictures and petting the dogs on streets that had been covered with snow by city work crews.

It was a little disconcerting for some of the mushers and dogs who have spent most of their winter training on quiet wilderness trails.

“I’m just watching so that no one steps on their feet,” defending champion Jeff King said as fans crowded around his truck.

Like people, some of the dogs thrive on the petting and attention. Others were feeling more shy.

Jersey, a 2-year-old in the team of rookie Keli Mahoney took refuge from the noise by hiding under a truck. The dogs’ different personalities are part of what Mahoney, a pilot, finds challenging.

“Airplanes, they don’t have a lot of personality,” she chuckled. “These guys, some days they don’t feel like running. Other days, they’ve nearly killed me.”

Instead of carrying survival gear and dog food, the mushers were carrying paying passengers in their sleds. Adventurous race fans bid a minimum of $500 to ride along on the first few miles of the trail through downtown Anchorage.

Deborah McPhee of Palmer Alaska won a ride in Mahoney’s sled.

“I’ve been watching the Iditarod since I was knee-high to a grasshopper so I’m pretty excited, ” McPhee said.