The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is a 1,149 mile race that spans the state of Alaska. Starting the first weekend every March in Anchorage, Alaska the race concludes, for the top finishers, some nine days later in Nome. Along the 1,000 mile journey mushers and their teams travel over rugged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, windswept tundra, and even over frozen sea ice. Every Iditarod race has included open water crossings, long stretches with no snow – so the mushers are running on dirt and rocks and ice — and temperatures from 40 above to 50 below. Needless to say, you have to have a few loose screws to sign up for this. And yet every year we find ourselves signing up for another go-round!
As a family, we have now seen three generations compete in the Iditarod and collectively we have 31 Iditarod finishes under our belts. Our family’s history with the Iditarod goes back to the inaugural planning stages of the race. Back in 1971, Dan Seavey Sr. began working with Alaskan heroes like Joe Redington Sr., Tom Johnson, and Gleo Huyck to put on a race across Alaska to commemorate the old Seward-Iditarod-Nome trail that was used during the gold rush. After two years of hard work, Dan took to the trail with eleven dogs as one of thirty-six mushers in the very first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973.
Today Dan continues to support the Iditarod as a member on their board of directors, but he has long since passed the racing torch on to his son Mitch, who has competed in 17 Iditarods. Mitch has also done exceptionally well in the race — he has 9 top ten finishes including a first place finish in 2004. To say we’re happy with our record is an understatement: Iditarod is an extremely competitive race that tests both the musher and the dogs’ endurance, perseverance, and skill. Each finish is always a close one. Believe it or not, a 1,000 mile sled dog race is often won by less than two hours and the closest finish in Iditarod’s history was decided by the nose of the lead dog.
Each year, as a family, we put countless hours in to training our dogs to help prepare them for this 1,000 mile journey. Mitch’s sons grew up helping out in the dog yard and helping dad train up the next winning team. Mitch’s three oldest boys, Danny, Tyrell, Dallas, have now all competed in the race. Dallas now competes every year and is looking increasingly competitive. In 2011 Dallas won the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest and took 4th place in Iditarod, but Dallas has his sights set higher and is hoping to achieve a first place finish within the next several years. Conway, Mitch’s youngest son, has spent the past two years competing in the junior racing circuit and will run Iditarod when he becomes eligible in 2015.
We invite you to come along with us on one of our tours to see just what it takes to be an Iditarod Musher and an Iditarod dog. We guarantee our dogs’ excitement and enthusiasm will astound you. We hope you decide to come meet us and our dogs and to follow along as we prepare for the 2012 Iditarod.
Happy Trails,
The Seavey Family
