The Last Great Race Begins

At 10 a.m. local time Saturday, 96 teams of mushers, leaders, and swingers will begin leaving Anchorage, Alaska, by riding and pulling a sled. In all, they will travel more than 1,100 miles across some of the coldest, emptiest, and most beautiful terrain on earth. For the ones who make it to the small town of Nome, some 20-plus days later, the title of 2008 Iditarod finisher will be theirs. But only one team of dogs can pull their sled across the entire route, which rises as high as 3,771 feet and is broken down into 23 separate legs, the fastest. The Iditarod has enjoyed varying levels of popularity as its historic demands and remoteness draw interest but feign connection among those in the lower 48. Still, on the eve of start to The Last Great Race, the one thing that even casual observers can appreciate is the combined effort of both dogs and humans alike that must be made to ensure the entire team's survival, much less a win. And it doesn't hurt that, in a competitive sports world where far too many self-absorbed athletes are bred, coddled, and artificially enhanced into near perfection, there's still some out there like Hunter, who was rescued from a shelter and does it all for belly rubs.

--Jason Kerkmans

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Schultz/Alaska Stock/ITC