1. The Iditarod The Last Great Race on Earth
By Logan M.

2. Introduction
The Iditarod was started because there was a town in Alaska called Nome. The people there were coming down with a sickness called Diphtheria. Dog sled teams relayed to Anchorage, Alaska (nearly 600 miles away) to get the medicine. The people of Nome celebrated by making a race. The Iditarod was named after a town in Alaska.

3. Musher
My musher is John Baker. He was born in 1962 or 1963 in Kotzebue, AK. John got into racing because he watched it when he was young. John Baker won the Iditarod. I picked his name out of a hat. I got this information from: Iditarod.com, and

4. Dogs
The dogs wore harnesses and booties to protect their feet. The dogs all helped pull the sled over 600 miles from Anchorage, AK to Nome, AK. The dogs are Alaskan Huskies, Siberian Huskies, and Alaskan Malamutes.

5. Routes & Checkpoints
In even years the race takes a northern route. In odd years the race takes a southern route. The checkpoints for the northern route are Anchorage, Willow, Yentna, Skwentna, Finger Lake, Rainy Pass, Rohn, Nikolai, McGrath, Takotna, Ophir, Cripple, Ruby, Galena, Nulato, Kaltag, Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain, Safety, and Nome.
There were 22 checkpoint this year, which did not include Anchorage and Nome.

6. Awards
PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award- Presented to the first musher to reach McGrath.
GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award- Presented to the first musher to reach halfway.
Wells Fargo Bank Alaska Gold Coast Award- Presented to the first musher to reach the “Gold Coast” community of Unalakleet.
Red Lantern Award- Presented to the last musher to finish the race.

7. Webliography
Iditarod.com
By Logan M.