To Run or not to Run: Alaska’s Great Race

I’ll say it right up front. The Iditarod is controversial. PETA hates it. Dog trainers and veterinarians who raise and care for the dogs both in preparation and during the race defend it. But it is a part of Alaska’s culture. I’m not here to condemn or defend it. I’m here to tell a story.

On our pre-cruise excursion around interior Alaska, we stopped at the training camp of Dallas Seavey, a six time Iditarod winner. Dallas Seavey was born in Virginia but comes from a familial line of sled dog racers. He is the youngest winner of the race. He runs his team for 50 miles then rests them for 3-4 hours. He adopts dogs and screens adopters of his raised dogs. I have friends who have huskies and they love to run and run. They need to. They thrive on it.

The race was founded in 1973. Pre-snowmobile (or snow machine) and bush plane the dog sled was the primary mode of transportation in interior Alaska. The Iditarod race was founded to celebrate this cultural legacy and to give those dogs purpose when snow machines became popular. It was created, in part, to celebrate these dogs and the key role that they played in Alaskan history and culture. The course traces the Iditarod postal track used to deliver mail during this era. In 1915, during an outbreak of diphtheria in Nome, Alaska, sled dogs were used to transport life saving serum from Fairbanks. Part of the northern route of the Iditarod mimics this route. The fastest time yet on the 1,100 mile race course was about 8 days. Veterinarians line the race course at every check point to check in on the dogs and pull them if sick or exhausted.

When we arrived, the dogs were excited to see us. Yes, they are chained on runs. They each have little dog houses they can use. The area was very clean of feces, other than with the puppies, I saw one.

We met the dogs, those in training, those up for adoption and those who have been adopted by the staff already. They seem well cared for. They were exceedingly friendly and sweet. And when the side-by-sides were chained up to take those who wanted to go for a ride around the short track through the woods they were excited. They barked and wagged and howled their approval in a canine version of “take me, take me”. They pulled on the cart before it was ready to go. And then off they went, stopping for water to cool down twice on the route, pulling on the cart when they were ready, even before the musher was. Anxious to get going.

There are staff who live on site in dry cabins (aka no plumbing) 24/7 to attend to their needs and voracious diets. When a dog is in trouble (twisted in the run, hurt, sick) his/her brothers and sisters howl for help no matter the time. When one gets loose, they run for the cabins and wait at the doorstep.

These dogs seemed to feel like they had a purpose. To run and to pull. Like a sheep dog herds or a guard dog barks. Tourism has to help, bringing daily inspections of these properties and these dogs. Some mushers and trainers, undoubtedly, could and should do better. It didn’t feel that way here.

I’ll leave it to experts to debate if this race and these camps should exist. This story from ABC News is quite balanced and worth a read. I’m not qualified to make any kind of statement or judgement. But it was a unique experience celebrating the heritage of Alaska.

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