The Iditarod is an annual sled-dog race in Alaska that covers over 1,000 miles. The race takes place over a 10 to 17 day period. There are two different routes that are taken for the race, a southern route and a northern route. There are 25 or 26 checkpoints along the route, depending on which route is in use.

The 2009 Iditarod is scheduled to begin on March 7th, despite the fact that much of the trail is covered with snow. Snowshoes are required equipment for the mushers, but this will mark the first year they have used them in a while. Weather forecasts for the trails are calling for more snow during the race.Anchorage Daily News: Iditarod Trail missing under heavy snow (March 5, 2009)

While the first Iditarod race took place in 1973, the roots of the event go back even farther. The Iditarod trail became a main thoroughfare through the heartland of Alaska following a gold rush in the 1920s. Mail, supplies and even people were transported along the route. However, with the advances of technology, the trail fell into disuse because of air mail delivery and wide spread use of snow mobiles. In the late 1960s, when knowledge of the trail's existence was almost gone, a Wasilla historian, Dorothy G. Page, presented the idea of a dogsled race on the trail to help commemorate the history and awareness of the trail and its part in Alaska's history.Official Site: Iditarod History