Dog sled racing was first presented as an Olympic sport in 1932. Use this reference to learn about the Iditarod and its winners.
The annual race stretches from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Begun in 1973, the course follows an old frozen river route and is named after a deserted mining town along the way. In even-numbered years, the trail follows the 1,151-mile long Northern Route, while in odd-numbered years, it takes the slightly different 1,161 Southern Route. The Iditarod also commemorates a famous midwinter emergency to get medical supplies to Nome during a 1925 diphtheria epidemic. Men and women mushers compete together. In 2006, Jeff King of Denali Park, Alaska, won his fourth Iditarod and the prizes of $69,000 and a new truck. At 50, King is the oldest person to win the race.
| Year | Elapsed Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dick Wilmarth | 20 days, 00:49:41 |
| 1974 | Carl Huntington | 20 days, 15:02:07 |
| 1975 | Emmitt Peters | 14 days, 14:43:45 |
| 1976 | Gerald Riley | 18 days, 22:58:17 |
| 1977 | Rick Swenson | 16 days, 16:27:13 |
| 1978 | Dick Mackey | 14 days, 18:52:24 |
| 1979 | Rick Swenson | 15 days, 10:37:47 |
| 1980 | Joe May | 14 days, 07:11:51 |
| 1981 | Rick Swenson | 12 days, 08:45:02 |
| 1982 | Rick Swenson | 16 days, 04:40:10 |
| 1983 | Rick Mackey | 12 days, 14:10:44 |
| 1984 | Dean Osmar | 12 days, 15:07:33 |
| 1985 | Libby Riddles | 18 days, 00:20:17 |
| 1986 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 15:06:00 |
| 1987 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 02:05:13 |
| 1988 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 11:41:40 |
| 1989 | Joe Runyan | 11 days, 05:24:34 |
| 1990 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 01:53:23 |
| 1991 | Rick Swenson | 12 days, 16:34:39 |
| 1992 | Martin Buser | 10 days, 19:17:00 |
| 1993 | Jeff King | 10 days, 15:38:15 |
| 1994 | Martin Buser | 10 days, 13:02:39 |
| 1995 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 02:42:19 |
| 1996 | Jeff King | 9 days, 05:43:13 |
| 1997 | Martin Buser | 9 days, 08:31:45 |
| 1998 | Jeff King | 9 days, 05:52:26 |
| 1999 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 14:31:07 |
| 2000 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 00:58:06 |
| 2001 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 19:55:50 |
| 2002 | Martin Buser | 8 days, 22:46:02* |
| 2003 | Robert Sorlie | 9 days, 15:47:36 |
| 2004 | Mitch Seavey | 9 days, 12:20:22 |
| 2005 | Robert Sorlie | 9 days, 18:39:31 |
| 2006 | Jeff King | 9 days, 11:11:36 |
| 2007 | Lance Mackey | 9 days, 05:08:41 |
| 2008 | Lance Mackey | 9 days, 11:46:48 |
