There is another reason why a low number of mushers signed up to run the Iditarod sled dog race that has not been discussed. The past few years, the trail committee has shut down the trail shortly after the winner has crossed the finished line.
Most mushers run the race to get their Iditarod sled dog patch of completion and the Iditarod belt buckle. Few mushers can generate the funds needed to develop a competitive team that has a shot at winning the race. Most mushers that run the race are hobby mushers and can barely raise the funds to run the race a time or two.
So when the word went out that the race committee had changed its policy of running the race and are now shutting down the trail a few days after the winner has crossed the finish line, the hobby mushers are stopped at the checkpoint that they are at and are sent home. That means their goal of finishing the race is over. No Iditarod finishing patch, no belt buckle.
So the hobby mushers say, what the hey, no need to run the race because you’re going to be shut down before you get to Nome, so what’s the use? So they stay home in the first place and don’t run the race to begin with. The results are low numbers of mushers signing up to run the race.
As long as the trail committee has this policy, there will always be a low number of mushers to sign up to run the race.
— John Suter
Past Iditarod musher
Chugiak
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