The second half-century for the world’s most famous sled dog race is getting off to a rough start. Only 33 mushers will participate in the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday, reports the AP, the smallest field ever to take their dogs nearly 1,000 miles over Alaska’s wilderness. This year’s lineup is smaller even than that of the 34 mushers who lined up for the first race in 1973. The small pool is raising concerns about the future of an iconic race beaten by the pandemic, climate change, inflation, and the loss of big sponsors, just as multiple big-name mushing champs are retiring with few to take their place. The largest field ever was 96 mushers in 2008; the average number over the last 50 years was 63.
The Iditarod is the most prestigious sled dog race in the world, taking competitors over two mountain ranges, the frozen Yukon River, and treacherous Bering Sea ice in frigid temps before ending in the old Gold Rush town of Nome. And while the world-renowned race has the highest winner's purse of any sled dog competition, the winner only pockets about $50,000 before taxes. Defending champ Brent Sass, who supplements his income as a wilderness guide, says he orders 500 bags of high-quality dog food a year. Each bag cost $55 a few years ago, but that's swelled to $85 per bag—or about $42,500 a year. That's about how much Sass pocketed from his Iditarod win last year.
With other race costs, retired four-time winner Martin Buser said running the Iditarod now can mean spending $250,000. Staging the race is getting pricier, too, Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach said: Last year it cost nearly $30,000 to transport specially certified straw from the lower 48 for dogs to sleep on at checkpoints. Other challenges:
- PETA: The animal rights group has targeted the race’s biggest sponsors. Over the past decade, Alaska Airlines, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, and Wells Fargo have ended race sponsorships as a result.
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- Climate change: Organizers had to move the starting line 290 miles north from Willow to Fairbanks in 2003, 2015, and 2017 because of a lack of snow.
- Retirees: “I just got back from Cancun to see the Grateful Dead play,” said four-time champ Jeff King, who is now 67. Five-time champ Dallas Seavey said last year would be his last. Other past champs not racing include Dallas’ father, three-time champ Mitch Seavey, and Joar Leifseth Ulsom and Thomas Waerner. That leaves two former winners in this year’s field, Sass and Pete Kaiser. Says Sass of the race: “I think it’s going to come back.”
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