2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

The 2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race made way on March 4th, with sixty-six teams at the start line and twelve teams later scratching. Traditionally the Iditarod begins north of Anchorage, Alaska and ends in Nome, Alaska under the well-known burled-arch finish line. Mushers and their teams of trained sled dogs travel the nearly 1,000-mile race through Alaska, bearing through harsh weather conditions in tough terrains with hopes of being the first team to reach the western Bering Sea coast. The Iditarod gains world-wide news coverage, drawing in journalists and film crews from various countries and is dubbed as “The Last Great Race On Earth” due to its longevity and challenging circumstances. On March 13th the 40th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race of 2012 unveiled its youngest winner to date, 25-year-old Dallas Seavey, who faced steep competition against all the other talented teams, including two of which were led by Seavey’s father and grandfather. Dallas Seavey began the race on his birthday alongside his talented team of nine sled dogs, five of which were lead dogs; all of them playing their own important role that helped lead them into victory. Seavey recalls losing a few hours near a checkpoint in Rohn to remove sled dog, Guinness’, dog booties for better traction, and although it slowed down the team momentarily, they were still able to pull through on top, winning Seavey $50,400 and a new truck. Dallas Seavey spoke highly of his competitors, stating, “They had phenomenal teams out there. I’m very impressed with those guys and am excited to race with them in future years.”