THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS SLED DOG RACE IS LONGER THAN EVER. HERE’S A LOOK AT IDITAROD, BY THE NUMBERS

The world’s most famous sled dog race is longer this year than ever before.

Due to a lack of snow, this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race had to be rerouted across the Alaskan wilderness. The new course adds more than 100 miles (161 kilometers), meaning the teams of dogs will need to pull their mushers over 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) to reach the finish line.

The number of mushers participating this year has dropped, tying with 2023 for the lowest turnout in the race’s history. This marks the fourth time the starting line has been moved to Fairbanks, as barren ground near Anchorage and other areas along the trail made the usual route impassable.

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at this year’s gruelling event, which kicks off with a ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday before the official race begins in Fairbanks on Monday. The winning team is expected to reach Nome, the Gold Rush town, about 10 days later.

• Only 33 mushers will start this year’s race, matching 2023 for the smallest field ever.
• The largest field was 96 mushers in 2008.
• The decline in participants has raised concerns about the future of the iconic race, which has been affected by inflation, pressure from animal rights groups, and climate change.

This year marks the 53rd edition of the Iditarod, which was first held in 1973. The inaugural race had 34 mushers—just one more than the smallest fields in 2023 and 2025.

Once, sled dogs were essential for transportation in Alaska, hauling freight, carrying people between villages, and even providing transport for the Alaska Territorial Guard, or the Eskimo Scouts, who patrolled the western coast during World War II to guard against Japanese attacks.