The Iditarod Trail Invitational follows the historic Iditarod Trail.
The famous sled dog route runs 1000 miles through frozen Alaska every March since 1973 in memory of those brave individuals who brought the important serum to Nome in 1925 during a diphterie outbreak.
Using bicycles as a means of transportation on Alaska's frozen rivers and tundra might seem a little odd and a crazy idea, but men looking for gold around 1900 that couldn't afford a dog team actually used what they then called a "wheel" and followed the gold rush from Dawson City to Nome on the Yukon River on bicycles.
In the year of 2000 the race followed the entire length of the Iditarod Trail to Nome on the Bering coast.
The Iditasport race format included a mandatory overnite 30 miles into the race.
The race is now a straight through race with 7 checkpoints on the route to McGrath.
Participants can bike, ski, or run the distance. Participants also chose their distance-McGrath-350 miles, or Nome-1000 miles.
This is the most remote and longest winter ultra race in the world.
NEO TC member Rick Freeman is signed up for the (natch) finish in Nome, 1000 miles.
Check out the website, it is fascinating reading.
Best of luck to Rick Freeman, and Tim Hewitt, we will be following from the warmth of our houses cheering you on!
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