Alaska

Mushers Hit the Snowy Trail as Iditarod Kicks Off in Alaska

For this year's Iditarod, 67 teams are signed up to vie for a total purse of $500,000

Competitors took to the snowy trail as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off Sunday in Alaska following a trying year for the annual event.

Musher Cody Strathe of Fairbanks and his 16-dog team were the first to take off across frozen Willow Lake, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Sixty-seven teams are signed up for the 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) trek over mountain ranges, frozen rivers and other dangerous terrain. The winner is expected to reach the finish in the old Gold Rush town of Nome in about nine days.

The race is taking place after organizers spent much of the year dealing with multiple problems, including a champion's dog doping scandal, the loss of a major sponsor and escalating pressure from animal rights activists.

Iditarod officials acknowledge they've weathered a challenging year. But they say it's been a learning experience, not a sign the race faces an uncertain future as some critics believe.

The race had its traditional ceremonial start Saturday with a short sprint through downtown Anchorage that gave fans a chance to get up close to the teams.

Competitors are vying for a total purse of $500,000 in the 46th running of the race, with the winner's share to be determined later in the race. The winner also receives a new truck.

Of the troubles facing race organizers, perhaps the most high-profile issue was the October disclosure that four dogs belonging to four-time winner Dallas Seavey tested positive for a banned substance, the opioid painkiller tramadol, after his second-place finish last March behind his father, Mitch Seavey. The race's governing board faced criticism for the tardy release of the information.

The Iditarod didn't punish the younger Seavey, who has denied administering the drugs to his dogs. Race rules have since been changed to hold mushers liable for any positive drug test unless they can show something beyond their control occurred.

Dallas Seavey is sitting out this year's race in protest over the handling of the doping investigation. He is in Norway instead, gearing up to participate in another sled dog race.

Dog deaths in last year's Iditarod also played a role in increasing pressure from animal rights activists, who are protesting the race in person this year. The Iditarod went without dog deaths in several recent years.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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