The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, usually called the "Iditarod", is an annual sled dog race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of dogs cover nowadays about 1,100 miles (1,760 km). While the speed record is held by Martin Buser's team who finished the race in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and two seconds, other mushers cross the finish line days later. In 1990, the last ones finished in just over 21 days. In 2001, Karen Ramstead finished in 14 days, 23 hours and 53 seconds.
Frequently teams race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, and sub-zero weather and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach −100 °F (−75 °C). The trail runs through the U.S. state of Alaska, from the city of Anchorage in the southcental region of the state, up the Rainy Pass of the Alaska Range into the sparsely populated Interior, and then along the shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska. The teams cross a harsh but starkly beautiful landscape under the canopy of the Northern Lights, through tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, and across rivers. While the start in Anchorage is in the middle of a large urban center, most of the route passes through widely separated towns and villages, and small Athapaskan and Intuit settlements. The Iditarod is regarded as a symbolic link to the early history of the state, and is connected to many traditions commemorating the legacy of dog mushing.
*Source - Wikipedia, Iditarod Sled Dog Race