How is Balto related to the Iditarod?

Answer 1

Balto was a famous sled dog who was the lead dog in a team that carried vital medicine to Nome during a diphtheria epidemic in 1925. This event, called the 1925 Serum Run to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Committee promotes the Iditarod as a commemoration of the 1925 Anchorage to Nome diphtheria serum delivery. However, the race actually celebrates the memory of musher Leonhard Seppala. The Iditarod was patterned after the All-Alaskan Sweepstakes which were races held in the early 1900s. The Iditarod was not patterned after the serum delivery.

The idea for the Iditarod started with Dorothy Page.

"(In 1967) run in two heats over a 25-mile course, the race was officially named the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race, in honor of mushing legend Leonhard Seppala." "Over the years, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race's origins have been closely linked with the 'great mercy race' to Nome. Most people believe the Iditarod was established to honor drivers and dogs who carried the diphtheria serum, a notion the media have perpetuated. In reality, 'Seppala was picked to represent all the mushers,' Page stressed. 'He died in 1967 and we thought it was appropriate to name the race in his honor. But it could just as easily have been named after Scotty Allan. The race was patterned after the Sweepstakes races, not the serum run.'"

- Dorothy Page, co-founder of the Iditarod, discussing the origins of the race

- Sherwonit, Bill. Iditarod, Seattle:Alaska Northwest Books, 1991

(Bill Sherwonit reported on sled Dog Racing for over ten years for the Anchorage Times. He wrote articles for numerous publications including National Wildlife magazine and the Anchorage Daily News.)

Joe Redington, Sr. later expanded the original 1967 event making it longer and more lucrative. There are few similarities between the route of the serum delivery and the

present-day Iditarod dog sled race routes. In the serum delivery, a train carried the medication from Anchorage to Nenana. From there the dogs ran the remaining 674 miles in relays to Norton Sound and up the Bering Sea Coast to Nome. There were 20 serum mushers with dog teams and no dog ran over 92 miles.

The Iditarod race follows a northern route in even-numbered years and a southern route in odd numbered years. The northern route goes from Anchorage to Ophir and then north to Ruby. The southern route goes from Anchorage to McGrath and then on to Unalakleet. Only the trails from Ruby to Nome and Unalakleet to Nome have similarities to the serum delivery route.

The Iditarod now allows mushers to use GPS devices. In 1925, these devices didn't exist.