When was the closest finish in the iditarod

Close finishes of less than an hour apart are unusual in ultra-endurance races like the Iditarod, but they have happened before.

The Iditarod, run every year since , commemorates a medical mission that has become part of Alaska legend. At the time, Nome was stricken by a deadly diphtheria outbreak, and the remote Gold Rush town could be reached only by dog sled.

Officials used a dog-sled relay to ferry lifesaving medicine to the town. Sports News Updated. The Iditarod covers almost 1, miles of challenging terrain for mushers and dogs. A southern route and a northern route is used in alternate years to bring the race to different parts of the state.

Most of the race utilizes a trail that was in place long before the Iditarod was a sled dog race. The Iditarod Trail has its origins at the turn of the twentieth century, when it was used firstly by Native Alaskans for hunting and traveling, and then cleared by government employees in In an era where airplanes did not exist, dog teams were tasked with delivering mail and packages to remote areas of Alaska.

Mushing became a popular winter sport amongst locals in the first half of the s, popularized by the serum run to Nome also called The Great Race of Mercy. With a minute lead, he left White Mountain, thinking he would be able to maintain it and get to Nome.

But a bad storm blew him off the trail and caused him to scratch. That same storm had Aliy Zirkle get to Safety and stop to wait it out. She couldn't see her lead dogs from her sled and decided not to go forward. In comes Dallas Seavey. Seavey, thinking he was gunning for third, got to Safety and decided to push on. He pushed on to Nome, where he won the race a mere 2 minutes and 22 seconds ahead of Zirkle. When he arrived in Nome, he still thought he was in third and was surprised to realize he had in fact, won the race.

So what will happen this year? If history has taught us anything, the race for first isn't over until someone crosses the finish line in Nome. We'll have to wait and see how shapes up in the record books. Skip to content. Skywatch Alaska. Athlete Of The Week. Telling Alaska's Story. Stream Us On VUit. Connect With Us.