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RACEKIT - OUR EXPERIENCE
Iditasport - Alaska
MY favourite race. The Iditasport is the human-powered version of the fabled Iditarod dog-sled race, which commemorates the 1925 relay of life-saving diptheria serum to the coastal gold-rush town of Nome.
Iditasport follows a thin white line of 1,097 miles - across frozen rivers, lakes, sea-ice, tundra and mountains, passing through tiny native villages en route. Competitor 'drop-out' rates are legendary - up to 80% some years. In 2001, I managed to win the race to Nome, and returned the following year to finish 2nd - becoming the first person in history to complete the race's northern and southern routes.
Entrants - the field is limited to 55 each year - are required to post an evacuation bond in case of emergency, but apart from that (and the need to sign in and out of ten Inuit villages), it's a non-stop race with virtually no back-up. Re-supply is done via two drop bags in the first 350 miles of the route - beyond that it's up to competitors to mail provisions to the post offices of the villages en route.
Wolf and moose encounters are highly likely, along with 'overflow', which occurs when running water forces its way to the surface over deep-frozen river ice. Temperatures can easily drop to 60 below or colder - especially on the 70-mile section of sea ice towards the end of the race - but for some reason this event has a massive following and many competitors (including myself and Alan Sheldon, multi-Polaris Challenge winner, also from Matlock) return again and again. Be warned, it's addictive!
For a flavour of the terrain us cyclists, runners and skiers tackle during the race, check out this (slightly Americanised!) Youtube trailer for their Iditarod series...