Kim Franklin from Cottered, Hertfordshire, who turned 50 recently, is taking part in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska. Alaska’s famed sled-dog race is set to get underway yesterday when dozens of mushers and dog teams from around the world begin their near 1,000-mile (1,600-km) journey through the U.S. state’s frigid wilderness.
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The Iditarod officially starts Sunday on frozen Willow Lake, and trail conditions largely improve outside town.
“I think for those that have been around the race for a long period of time, they have come to grips with the fact that he’s at the top of his game and he’s going to be there for some time”, Hooley said.
“I’m not even going to begin to mention them because there’s at least 20 teams that could win this race this year”, he said, including one of the eight mushers in the race from Norway.
(AP Photo/Rachel D’Oro). Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race defending champion Dallas Seavey, center, poses with members of the Air Force’s 477th Fighter Group, Staff Sgt. Chris Garrett, left, and Staff Sgt. Jennifer Hall, right, during a tour at Joint Base.
The victor is expected in Nome, along the Bering Sea coast, in about nine days.
When this year’s iteration of the Iditarod starts Saturday, the ceremonial route will be much shorter than normal – just three miles – because of a lack of snow. It’s an event designed for fans, allowing them to interact with the mushers, take photos and pet the dogs.
But this year, a lack of snow forced officials to shorten the route to only three miles. Two years later, she moved to Anchorage “for good”.
“I’m more nervous about the ceremonial start than the timed start”, said Miriam Osredkar, 38, one the 17 rookie mushers.
The race, which covers 975 miles (1,569 km) this year, is the test of extreme endurance.
Key personnel within the Municipality of Anchorage’s street maintenance, parks and recreation and police departments worked very hard to try to find a way for us to go the full 11 miles to the BLM Campbell Tract.
Among the other former winners is two-time champ Robert Sorlie, 58, a firefighter in Oslo, Norway.
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Sass has corrected a major mistake from last year’s race. He says this is likely his last Iditarod, citing age and costs associated with the race.
