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Iditarod gets mushing MondaySled-dog race will begin run from Fairbanks to Nome
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (CNN) -- A group of 64 mushers from all over the world on Monday officially begins this year's Iditarod, billed as the "Last Great Race" and arguably the best-known sled-dog race in the world. A ceremonial start was staged Saturday in Anchorage for the mushers, or sled drivers, amid unusually warm weather and rain that forced the city to search for enough snow to cover streets for the yearly event. But the action won't really begin until the "restart" in Fairbanks at 10 a.m. (2 p.m. EST) Monday. The official opening was moved about 350 miles north because of the warmer weather, the most dramatic relocation in race history, Iditarod spokesman Stan Hooley said. This year's race will miss roughly a third of the usual route and go about 100 miles farther than usual before ending in Nome after about a 1,200-mile trek. Along the way will be about two dozen checkpoints and towns with names such as Kaltag, Unalakleet, Shaktoolik and Safety. Will the difficulty level change this year? "Not at all," Hooley said. The Iditarod Trail International Sled Dog Race declares itself open to all who qualify, but musher wannabes have to do more than show up. Rookies who have not finished a previous Iditarod must have completed approved qualifying races totaling at least 500 miles within the past five years. This year's male and female contestants range in age from 18 to 60. Top prize: $68,571 and a truckOnly one 24-hour stop and three eight-hour stops are mandated for the teams on a race, which typically lasts about 10 days. A drawing held a few days before the race determines starting positions. Teams will leave the restart at two-minute intervals, and the time differentials are adjusted during the 24-hour mandatory rest period. Time penalties can be imposed for some infractions. And lest observers think the Iditarod is an ordinary race, another rule provides a wake-up call, mandating that if any edible big-game animal, such as a moose, caribou or buffalo, is killed in self-defense, the musher must "gut the animal and report the incident to a race official at the next checkpoint." Following teams must help when possible, and no teams may pass "until the animal has been gutted and the musher killing the animal has proceeded." Other killed animals must be reported, "but [they] need not be gutted." While race fans may party a bit on the eve of the race, Hooley said the mushers spend the day preparing. "The competitors, I think, are really busy focusing on what happens," he said. An entry fee of $1,850 is required. Top prize in the race this year is $68,571 and a Dodge truck, but Hooley said first-place winners also can expect to rake in promotional deals after their victory. And how is the winner decided? According to the rules, "by the nose of the first dog to cross the finish line."
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