The 2019 Iditarod is the 47th iteration of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held in Alaska. The race began on March 2, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska, and ended on March 18, 2019, in Nome, Alaska.[1][2][3]

47th Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Competitors posing for photographs at the ceremonial start of the 2019 Iditarod
VenueIditarod Trail
LocationAlaska
DatesMarch 2–18, 2021
Competitors52
Champion
Peter Kaiser

Fifty-two dog mushers participated in the race, among them former Iditarod champions Joar Leifseth Ulsom, Mitch Seavey, Martin Buser, Lance Mackey, and Jeff King; other veteran mushers such as Aliy Zirkle and Nicolas Petit; and ten rookies, including Blair Braverman.[4][5][6][7] On March 13, Peter Kaiser finished in first place, completing the course in nine days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and six seconds. Kaiser was the first Yup'ik native to win the Iditarod.[8] Joar Leifseth Ulsom, the 2018 champion, came in a close second, finishing only twelve minutes after Kaiser. Jessie Royer placed third.[9] Nicolas Petit, an early frontrunner in the race, dropped out on March 11 after his dogs refused to run farther.[10] Along with Jessie Royer, Aliy Zirkle (fourth place) and Paige Drobny (seventh place) made history as the first three women to collectively finish in the top ten places of the Iditarod.[11] Apayauq Reitan participated two years before she came out as transgender to her family, finishing in 28th place.

Issues

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The Iditarod Trail Committee's lead drug tester resigned prior to the signup, under pressure from some of the competitors.[12] Companies Jack Daniels and Wells Fargo dropped their sponsorship of the race, possibly due to pressure from animal rights' activists.[13][14][15][16]

The general warmer climate of Alaskan winters over previous years due to global warming had mounted concerns that there would be a lack of snow for the race to utilize.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Staff Report. "Only 28 mushers sign up for 2019 Iditarod on first day". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  2. ^ "Eye on the Trail: Off and Running – Iditarod". iditarod.com. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  3. ^ Victoria Hardwick is final Iditarod XLVII finisher, claims Red Lantern Award
  4. ^ "28 mushers enter 2019 Iditarod, the smallest first-day signup this century". Anchorage Daily News. 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  5. ^ Maguire, Mary Kate Burgess & Sean. "Mitch Seavey says he will race as Iditarod chief of drug testing resigns". Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  6. ^ Verge, Beth. "'Because I can': Recovering from surgery, Lance Mackey throws name in hat for 2019 Iditarod". Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  7. ^ "Current Race Standings - 2019 Iditarod - Iditarod". iditarod.com. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  8. ^ Morris, Amanda; Block, Melissa (16 March 2019). "Peter Kaiser Takes First In Iditarod — Marking A Win For Alaskan Natives". NPR. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Veteran musher Jessie Royer takes 3rd in 2019 Iditarod". www.ktva.com. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  10. ^ "The Daily 5: Petit scratches, a 3-way battle for first & how to send a 'mushergram'". www.ktva.com. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Eye on the Trail: Paige Drobny Takes Seventh – Iditarod". iditarod.com. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Iditarod drug test creator says his departure is bittersweet, holds no grudge". Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  13. ^ RACHEL D'ORO (2018-06-27). "Longtime sponsor of Iditarod cuts ties with Alaska race". KVEO. Associated Press. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  14. ^ Enslow, Patrick. "Confidential report identifies financial struggles inside Iditarod". Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  15. ^ "Jack Daniel's Drops Long-Time Sponsorship Of Iditarod". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  16. ^ "Jack Daniel's maker cuts ties with Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race". Anchorage Daily News. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  17. ^ Branch, John (2019-03-01). "The Mush in the Iditarod May Soon Be Melted Snow". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.