The Iditarod starts in 4 days!!!!!

• The Iditarod starts in 4 days!!!!!

 What is the Iditarod, you ask? The Iditarod sled-dog race is run on a trail that was originally a mail-supply route. In 1925, part of the trail became a lifesaving highway for the children who lived in Nome. A serum, or a liquid used to prevent or cure a disease, had to be delivered to the children who suffered from a deadly disease. The serum was transported successfully by a string of mushers and their dogs. The Iditarod race is a commemoration, or an event to remember something special, of that historic event. Mushers have been running the race annually since 1973. Thirty-five mushers attempted the first race, but only 22 finished. The first Iditarod winner took 20 days to complete the race. Over the years, mushers and their dogs have gained confidence and speed. Last year, the winner completed the race in just 9 days, 11 hours, 11 minutes and 36 seconds. The Iditarod is sometimes called “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Every year, it begins in Anchorage during the first weekend in March. Each team of 12 to 16 covers the distance to Nome in approximately 9 to 17 days. The students have each picked a musher to cheer for. They have completed their research about their musher and are currently working on creating a power point about their musher of choice. If you would like to keep track of how the “greatest dog-sled race in the world” is going and pick out your musher to cheer on, then just log on to www.iditarod.com.