Rick Swenson has won the Iditarod the most times: 5.

1. The Iditarod is the world’s longest dog sled race. The trail runs 1,151 miles from Anchorage to Nome (Alaska cities) along an old mail route known as the Iditarod Trail.

2. The Iditarod race starts in Anchorage, Alaska on the first Saturday in March every year. This year 71 mushers are scheduled to compete in the race beginning on March 6. The winner usually takes nine days to finish the race. The last team takes two weeks or more.

3. This year there are 16 women mushers and 55 men. Forty-six are from the state of Alaska and 13 are from other states (nobody from Michigan this year!) Eight mushers are from Canada, two are from Scotland, and one musher each from Belguim and Jamaica. There are 71 mushers in all.

4. The Iditarod follows two different trails: the Northern Route on even numbered years and the Southern Route on odd numbered years. This year is the Northern Route. The teams stop at 27 checkpoints along the way.

5. Sixteen dogs and one musher make up a team in the Iditarod. If a dog becomes sick or injured it is left with a veterinarian at a checkpoint and flown to the end of the race. Teams must finish with at least 5 dogs at the end of the race.

6. There are no roads on the Iditarod trail. The only way to follow the teams is by snowmobile, airplane, or dog team.

7. Although the mushers want to do their best, they stop to help each other whenever needed. Good sportsmanship is more important than the competition. All the teams are cheered for when they finish the race.

8. There are different positions and jobs for the dogs. The dogs in the front are called Lead dogs. They are usually the smartest dogs and lead the group. Next are the Swing dogs, followed by Team dogs. Just in front of the sled are the Wheel dogs, usually the strongest dogs.

9. Each musher sends about 2,000 pounds of dog food ahead to checkpoints (called “Food Drops”). Every sled dog needs between 10,000 and 14,000 calories of food each day during an endurance race like the Iditarod. The dogs also need lots of water, so they mix water with the food to make a “soup” for the dogs. The dogs also get snacks every few hours while they are running.

10. The mushers have pre-cooked, frozen food in heavy plastic bags sent ahead to the checkpoints. They thaw and heat the food on their little stove. They get drinking water at the check points but also have juice boxes and gatorade to drink. Most mushers also bring snacks like trail mix, candy, and beef jerky to eat.

11. The Iditarod trail goes through spruce forests, mountains, and over frozen rivers. Rainy Pass is the highest point on the trail: 3,160 feet above sea level and on top of the Alaska Mountain range. Then they go down a rocky gorge which drops 1,000 feet in the first five miles. This is a dangerous part of the trip as many teams fall and sleds can overturn here.

12. Takotna is the checkpoint at mile 436. This is the only place mushers have to take a shower during the race! There are only 58 people who live here, but they welcome the mushers with home cooked meals and delicious pies.

13. Mushers pass the town of Iditarod about halfway through the race. The town is now a “ghost town” which means no one lives there anymore. A long time ago gold was found nearby and many people came here. When the gold was gone, all the people moved away. The word Iditarod means “a far distant place.”

14. The first musher to reach Ruby (northern route) or Anvik (southern route) wins a seven-course, gourmet dinner flown in from a fancy restaurant in Anchorage and $5000. This is the first checkpoint along the Yukon River. The trail turns here for a long run down the river.

15. Near Shaktoolik (mile 922) is the coldest and windiest section of the trail. Homes in Shaktoolik are often held down by chains driven 25 feet into the frozen ground! After leaving this Eskimo village the teams cross 75 miles of ocean ice where storms can come up quickly. This is another dangerous part of the trail.

16. Mushers and their team are required to take an 8 hour stop at White Mountain (mile 1,074). As they head to the next (and last) checkpoint, mushers sign their names on the wall at the Nome Kennel Club Rest Cabin.

17. Before each team enters Nome, a siren goes off to alert fans to greet the team at the finish line. Large crowds gather to watch the Iditarod finishers. There is a large, lighted red lantern hanging at the finish line. The last team to enter Nome get the “Red Lantern Award.”

18. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race began in 1973. 35 mushers attempted the race but only 22 finished. The first Iditarod winner took 20 days to complete the race. The Iditarod is also called “The Last Great Race on Earth.”

19. Rick Swenson has won the Iditarod the most times: 5. Jeff King has won the Iditarod race four times. Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the Iditarod (in 1985). Last year Lance Mackey won the race.