Animation Source Forums

I don't know if we know this. but the race we all use in our racing fan fics and things, wasn't real at the time. During balto's time there was NO Iditarod. The iditarod didn't come until much later, so why do we always use it?

Because it is along the same route that Balto (Well, I guess mostly Togo's) team went to get to Nome with the antitoxin. It wasn't called the Idatarod at that time, but we refer to that route by that name because mostly there isn't any other name for it.

Swords is right, it was named te Iditarod after the serum run and follows the route the teams took to relay the antitoxin to Nome, I gues sorta commemerating the teams on the serum run, it now the toughest dog sled race in the world.

true, but then, why do we use it?

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race commerates the 1925 Serum Run and honors the dogs and men of that time period (1890s-1930s). The race partly follows the Iditarod National Historic Trail, which did exist in the 1920s. It is a winter trail network which connected Interior towns to each other and to Seward and Nome. It was designated a National Historic Trail in 1978, mostly due to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Edit: The 1925 Serum Run was partly run on the Yukon Mail Trail and partly on the Iditarod Trail. The Yukon Mail Trail runs on or parallel to the Yukon River from Nenana to Ruby.

Edit2: The Following image shows the National Historic Iditarod Trail:

Coaster is quite right here, and the map he provided is an excellent resource! (Well done, Coaster!)

Of course, Rozalyn is partially correct too. The first Iditarod sled race was actually run in 1973, though the Iditarod Trail did indeed exist during the 1920s, and was an overland hiking trail from lower Alaska to the old mining town of Iditarod if memory serves.

You can probably chalk up the confusion of the Iditarod trail, and the 1925 Serum Run, to two things:

1. The fact that, as has been pointed out here, the Iditarod commemorates the heroism and challenges of the 1925 Serum Run.

2. Most people are ignorant of the facts of the actual Serum Run history. Which is why a board like this makes so much sense on Balto Source!

Thanks BaltoSeppala! I do not take credit for that map as I found it on the website of the Iditarod National Historic Trail (in fact I have it hotlinked from there). I forgot to explain the early years of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. It was actually begun in 1967 as a 50 mile sprint race which consisted of 2 25 mile heats. Known as the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race, it was also run in 1969 and the 1968 race was canceled. The 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that we know today was started in 1973.

Hmm...the Iditarod web site mentions that the first Iditarod race, as we know it today, was run in 1973...http://www.iditarod.com/2-1.html. Otherwise, I agree. And yeah, I did realize that map wasn't yours...that it came from the trail site.

My mistake, I just realized I had typed in 1967 when I meant 1973. I have fixed it now. Sorry for any confusion.

No sweat. The way I see it, with all the good stuff you've contributed to this board, such an insignificant error is hardly worth making a fuss about.