Iditarod standings, mushers, map & more: Everything to know about the 2020 dog sled race

They call it "The Last Great Race on Earth" and with pretty much every sporting event canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, it's now just the last race on earth at all.

The 2020 Iditarod began on March 8, and teams are now starting to cross the finish line. Thomas Waerner of Norway, who is only in his second ever Iditarod, won the race, enterting Nome overnight on March 18. Five teams have withdrawn from the race so far.

The competition is one of the most difficult in the world, as competitors can face blizzards that cause whiteouts and wind conditions that create temperatures as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit. During the 2020 race, deep snow has been one of the key factors slowing down sled teams so far.

Here is everything you need to know about the race, including prize money, the dogs, and controversy.

What is the Iditarod?

The Iditarod is the most famous dog-sled race in the world. The annual race is run every year through the entire state of Alaska, from Anchorage to Nome. It began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams, but eventually became the competitive race we see today. The teams consist of a musher and 14 dogs. The race generally takes anywhere from 8-15 days, though the longest ever was was 32.5 days. 

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Breakdown of a sled team

Musher: the human guiding the dogs and directing the sled. The term is believed to have originated from the French, whose command "marche" (to walk) sounds very similar to "mush," the command used to get the dogs to move.

The dogs on the team have positions relative to their placement ahead of the sled. 

Lead dogs: steer the rest of the team and set the pace. This is usually one or two dogs, with two being more common.

Swing dogs: directly behind the lead dog. They swing the rest of the team behind them in turns or curves on the trail.

Wheel dogs: closest to the sled and musher. This dog is traditionally strong and not spooked easily by the sled directly behind it.

Team dogs: between the wheel dogs and the swing dogs, they add power to the team. This term also applies to any dog on the team.

Iditarod 2020 standings

Thomas Waerner​​ (Norway) won the 2020 Iditarod race, crossing the finish line early morning on March 18 with a total race time of nine days, 10 hours, 37 minutes and 47 seconds.

Iditarod dog breeds

Only northern dog breeds like Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes are allowed to race in the Iditarod. The rule was adopted in the early 1990s after musher John Suter entered the 1988 competition with standard European poodles on his dogsled team.

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Iditarod 2020 trail map

The Iditarod race has two routes: the northern trail is used during even years, and the southern trail during odd years. The entire route is a part of the Iditarod National Historical Trail, but in the beginning, smaller villages were heavily impacted by the race coming through their village every year. The decision was made to switch paths every other year.

NORTHERN ROUTE

(Iditarod)

SOUTHERN ROUTE

(Iditarod)

Iditarod prize money

The total prize purse is about $500,000, with the winner taking home about $50,000 and a new pickup truck.

The reward for the last musher who crosses the finish line and completes the Iditarod is called the Red Lantern Award. It is a symbol of perseverance for the team, and instead of being a consolation prize, gives the musher and dogs a sense of pride and accomplishment for finishing.

Controversy at the Iditarod

PETA has been very outspoken about the race, and claims that the animals are treated poorly and that the race should be shut down for dog abuse. The Iditarod claims that they take excellent care of the dogs, and many mushers feel like the dogs are part of their own family. All dogs are examined before the race and a veterinarian signs off on a food diary at checkpoints. The dogs are considered well-trained athletes.

Several sponsors, including Wells Fargo, Alaska Airlines, and Fiat Chrysler have dropped out in recent years. PETA has claimed that pressure from their organization has made sponsors listen to their claims of abuse and decide to no longer support the race. Iditarod CEO Stan Hooley even said that he believed Wells Fargo's decision was connected to the activists' implications of cruelty to dogs.

In 2018, the Iditarod created a rule that mushers who have a dog die during the race will be out of the race that year, unless the death "was caused solely by unforeseeable, external forces."