teens chasing their alaskan dreams
[literally]
The magic starts here!
- The Junior Iditarod starts in Anchorage, Alaska
- The mushers and dogs rest at Yentna Station [In the Junior Iditarod]
- In the Iditarod the adults start at Anchorage, Alaska and end in Nome, Alaska [Different time than the Junior Iditarod]
- The Junior Iditarod and Iditarod are held annually
- The racers in the Junior Iditarod go for only 140 miles then rest for a break
Fun Facts
- The Iditarod Trail Sled Race is the largest sledding race in the world
- Many people consider competing in the Junior Iditarod good training for the Iditarod race
- It takes months and years to prepare for the Junior Iditarod [And actual Iditarod]
- People come from all over the world to watch both races
- More than 900 dogs have raced in the Iditarod
- The winner of the Iditarod wins $50,000 and a new truck
- When the race is over the dogs get to play with horses in straw that is spread out on the ground
- The Junior Iditarod is the smaller race and the Iditarod is the larger one
The "never-ending" race
- The Junior Iditarod lasts 130-160 miles [Iditarod lasts 1,000 miles]
- A 10 hour break occurs halfway through the Junior Iditarod race [Iditarod race takes a 24-hour break and two 8 hour breaks]
- The Junior Iditarod started in 1978 [Iditarod started in 1973]
- The Junior Iditarod is a weekend race in February
Mushers, Veterinarians, and Dogs
- The Junior Iditarod is for teens ages 14-17 [in the Iditarod the musher has to be at least 18]
- A Musher is the owner of a dogsled who trains and takes care of the dogs leading the dogsled
- Veterinarians check on the dogs before and during the race
- 5-10 dogs pull the sled in the Junior Iditarod [Iditarod has 12-16 dogs]
- Huskies lead and guide the dogsled
- The Junior Iditarod tests the mushers skills on taking care of their dogs
- The mushers are in charge of making/supplying the dogs bed, food, and water
- The mushers look at a lot of aspects of available dogs to choose what ones will best suit them
- Most dogs have to give blood to see if they are healthy and ready for the race
- 12 kids [teams] race in the Junior Iditarod
works cited
- Crane, Cody. "Cool Runnings." Science World (Vol. 65, No. 10). 23 Feb. 2009: 8+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 01 Feb. 2016
- .http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/other-shows-iditarod-videos/
- Morrison, Tobin. "Dog Race in Alaska." Boys' Life. Dec. 1993: 43+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.
- "Race Across Alaska." Weekly Reader-3 (Vol. 74, No. 19). Feb. 25 2005: 2+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.