In a state where dog mushing is the official sport and the Iditarod ranks amongst the top-billed sporting events of the year, a race has to be exceptional to stir the excitement of Alaskans and mushers alike. The All-Alaska Sweepstakes, set to start March 26, 2008, fits the bill.

The history of long distance dog racing begins with The All Alaska Sweepstakes. By 1905, Nome was an established city with schools, churches, stores, newspapers and a hospital, though it was still primarily a mining town. During the winter, however, mining ceased, and there was a need for activity and entertainment. As a result, the Nome Kennel Club came to be organized – dogs were the backbone of transportation in this region, and dog drivers (as mushers were then called) often bragged about their dogs. The Kennel Club began putting on a number of races (betting and wagering was also a popular pastime in Nome), the biggest one being the All Alaska Sweepstakes.

Nome eventually became known around the world for its excellent dogs. When Roald Amundson considered an expedition to the North Pole, he requested dogs from Nome. When Vilhjalmur Stefansson needed dogs for his exploration of the Canadian arctic, he too turned to Nome. And during World War I, the French Army also came to Nome looking for dogs to serve in the Alps.

In celebration of the historical importance of dogs to Nome, the Nome Kennel Club is once again putting on the All-Alaska Sweepstakes. It was last run in 1983, when five-time Iditarod champion Rick Swenson made the 408 mile run from Nome to Candle and back in 84 hours, 42 minutes and 4 seconds. Ironically, despite technological advancements in sled design (today’s sleds weight a fraction of the sleds used in the early 1900’s) and changes in breeding, Swenson’s race time was significantly slower than the race record of 74 hours, 14 minutes and 37 seconds, set by John “Iron Man” Johnson in 1910 running a team of Siberian Huskies.

Amongst the unique aspects of this historical race is the use of the 1917 Race Rules. Although needing some interpretation and supplementation for modern times, one thing is absolutely clear: dog care is critical. Unlike most modern races, there are no dog drops permitted – mushers must cross the finish line with the same dogs that they departed with. A notice in the 1908 Nome Nugget stated that the race length was chosen to force the mushers to take good care of their dogs: “The distance was made four hundred and forty miles in order to force the drivers to nurse their dogs, and to prevent the natural cruelty that would result from racing a shorter distance where it might be attempted to press dogs through in one continuous drive without rest.” Should a musher need to drop a dog, as determined by a vet (rather than having it ride with the musher back to the start line), that musher is no longer eligible to win the race and will incur a ten hour penalty besides. The race rules also stipulate that the penalty for cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs is forfeiture of not only the race, but the entire dog team. Clearly, excellence in dog care is a priority for this race.

The All Alaska Sweepstakes will also have a Queen. This is part of a fund-raising activity. Women are nominated and collect votes (at $5.00 a vote) – the woman raising the most votes becomes Queen of the All Alaska Sweepstakes and the representative of the race. She will see all teams off at the starting line as well as greet them all at the finish. Monies raised by the Queen Contest will be used to award mushers who do not come in first.

Mushers competing for the $100,000 winner-take-all purse include Iditarod Champions Jeff King, Lance Mackey, and Mitch Seavey; Jim Lanier, who is the only participant who also ran in the 75th anniversary run in 1983; and Sonny Lindner, running a combination of dogs from his and Rick Swenson’s kennel, just as they did in 1983 when Swenson won. A total of fifteen mushers are currently signed up for the race, including four Nome residents.

Source for quote from Nome Nugget: Crane, Al. 100th Anniversary All Alaska Sweepstakes Race. Accessed on March 11, 2008 at http://sleddogcentral.com/features/all_alaska_sweepstakes.htm