Women in Alaska's History - Women of the Iditarod

"Alaska... Where men are men and women win the Iditarod"

Common Saying

Susan Butcher	Libby Riddles
DeeDee Jonrowe	Mary Shields

The Iditarod Race is a grueling and challenging race across over 1,160 frozen miles of Alaska terrain. This race originated to commemorate the heroic efforts of early sled dog mushers to deliver serum to Nome from Anchorage during a diphtheria epidemic. In the odd years, mushers take a southern route. In the even years they take a northern route. The trail splits at Ophir and connects at Kaltag.

The Iditarod has a rich history. It started in 1967. At that time the race was only about 27 miles long. It was run along a small section of the actual Itidarod trail. Now they start in Wasilla right outside of Anchorage.

The story of that great first race is as follows:

In 1927 in Nome there was a diphtheria epidemic and they had run out of serum. Many people were dying, including a lot of children. Nome sent an urgent request to Anchorage asking them to ship more serum right away. Anchorage tried to send it by ship but the pack-ice was getting too thick, then they tried by plane but they were having too many blizzards. Finally as a last resort they sent it by train. Unfortunately the train stopped at Nenana a town 674 miles away from Nome. They decided to use dog-sled for the remaining 674-mile distance.

A musher met the train, and loaded the serum on his sled, he then traveled to the next check-point. There another musher took over. And so on and so on. After a few days the last musher came into Nome. This musher's lead dog was the famous Balto. The serum was delivered and Nome was saved from being wiped out.