37th Iditarod kicks off in Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 7 (UPI) -- The 37th annual Iditarod sled-dog race started Saturday with a ceremonial spin through Anchorage by mushers prepared for the Alaskan trail.

By the standards of Alaskan winter, the weather was perfect for the kickoff, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The sky was clear and blue and the sun shone with the temperature a seasonable 15 degrees.

The 67 teams -- down from last year's record 96 -- will cover 1,161 miles from Willow, just outside Anchorage, to Nome on the west coast. They can expect to arrive at the finish line in eight to 15 days, depending on the skill of the mushers and the quality of their dogs.

The run through Anchorage gives mushers a chance to show off for family and friends and to raise some money by charging passengers on their sleds.

Many of the competitors have no hope of winning but undertake the race in a spirit of adventure.

But Martin Buser and Lance Mackey both plan to win this year. Buser is a four-time Iditarod champion while Mackey performed what had been considered the impossible in 2007 and 2008 of winning both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.