Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Updated August 28, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The annual race stretches from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Begun in 1973, the course follows an old frozen river route and is named after a deserted mining town along the way. In even-numbered years, the trail follows the 1,151-mile long Northern Route, while in odd-numbered years, it takes the slightly different 1,161 Southern Route. The Iditarod also commemorates a famous midwinter emergency to get medical supplies to Nome during a 1925 diphtheria epidemic. Men and women mushers compete together. In 2006, Jeff King of Denali Park, Alaska, won his fourth Iditarod and the prizes of $69,000 and a new truck. At 50, King is the oldest person to win the race.

Year Elapsed Time
1973 Dick Wilmarth 20 days, 00:49:41
1974 Carl Huntington 20 days, 15:02:07
1975 Emmitt Peters 14 days, 14:43:45
1976 Gerald Riley 18 days, 22:58:17
1977 Rick Swenson 16 days, 16:27:13
1978 Dick Mackey 14 days, 18:52:24
1979 Rick Swenson 15 days, 10:37:47
1980 Joe May 14 days, 07:11:51
1981 Rick Swenson 12 days, 08:45:02
1982 Rick Swenson 16 days, 04:40:10
1983 Rick Mackey 12 days, 14:10:44
1984 Dean Osmar 12 days, 15:07:33
1985 Libby Riddles 18 days, 00:20:17
1986 Susan Butcher 11 days, 15:06:00
1987 Susan Butcher 11 days, 02:05:13
1988 Susan Butcher 11 days, 11:41:40
1989 Joe Runyan 11 days, 05:24:34
1990 Susan Butcher 11 days, 01:53:23
1991 Rick Swenson 12 days, 16:34:39
1992 Martin Buser 10 days, 19:17:00
1993 Jeff King 10 days, 15:38:15
1994 Martin Buser 10 days, 13:02:39
1995 Doug Swingley 9 days, 02:42:19
1996 Jeff King 9 days, 05:43:13
1997 Martin Buser 9 days, 08:31:45
1998 Jeff King 9 days, 05:52:26
1999 Doug Swingley 9 days, 14:31:07
2000 Doug Swingley 9 days, 00:58:06
2001 Doug Swingley 9 days, 19:55:50
2002 Martin Buser 8 days, 22:46:02*
2003 Robert Sorlie 9 days, 15:47:36
2004 Mitch Seavey 9 days, 12:20:22
2005 Robert Sorlie 9 days, 18:39:31
2006 Jeff King 9 days, 11:11:36
2007 Lance Mackey 9 days, 05:08:41
2008 Lance Mackey 9 days, 11:46:48
*Race record.

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