Talk about an amazing race. The Iditarod dog sled competition, which started Saturday, stretches more than a thousand miles from Anchorage to Nome, crossing some of the toughest terrain in the world under some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Mushers come from all over the world to compete, but, at its heart, the last great race is a unique competition that captures the very essence of what it means to be an Alaskan. It’s about grit and perseverance, survival and courage. The race also symbolizes compassion and responsibility for our fellow human beings as it commemorates the heroic efforts of a group of mushers who ran the life-saving serum needed to treat Nome’s diphtheria outbreak in 1925.
And there are so many ways to geek out on the Iditarod!
[See Jessamyn’s homemade dog sled and other suggestions for geeking out on the Iditarod at GeekMom!]
