Talk:Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race/Archive 1

a number of students who live along the trail who want to contibute timely information about snow and trail conditions here....as well as add live race updates during the actual race. We don't want to clutter the main Iditarod page with that. Thoughts, anyone? BSSD UNK 17:51, 18 February 2006 (UTC) On the links section you may want to add Iditarodairforce.com Thanks John Please explain "tethering" as used in this article. SatTrack

Is the race trail fixed? It was my understanding that the 2003 race was moved further north because of lack of snow. -- Zoe

Negativity
Isnt this article a bit negative towards the object in question?

Please rewrite all or part of this entry!!
It's obvious that someone from PETA composed the above description. Please see that at least something objective is added here. (This message was posted to the main article by 68.6.185.180 and was later moved here.)

NPOV
I agree that this article is shameless grandstanding by an animal rights advocate. Definitely not neutral. Rsduhamel 21:41, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

More NPOV
In checking the history of this article I found that anonymous editor 205.188.116.146 deleted the original article when he/she added his/her negative monologue. I put the original material back into the article and put a "Controversy" heading before the negative material. Rsduhamel 22:14, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Fixed?
What is the consensus on this article? Is it fixed or does it still need work?

It looks fixed to me. If no one says anything here in a week, and it's still marked NPOV at that time, I'll change it. --Dbenbenn 17:22, 27 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Controversy
This section is definitely NOT fixed. As written, this section implies that deaths and injuries happen all the time, which is not exactly accurate, especially given the repetition within a short space of the same information. It also uses loaded language in the phrase, "dogs are forced to run" -- anybody who has ever seen sled dogs knows that the problem is that they will not stop when you want them to, and they'll take off as soon as they can get away with it --they LOVE to run. They've been bred for it. While it is true that injuries and usually one or more deaths (though not always) happen each race, given the number of active, working dogs, and the time span, the number of injuries and deaths is not extraordinary. This section would be better served by describing the controversy and the parties involved, and how the anti-race movement developed as a result of some real problems early on. One example is the man who, back in the early 90s, I think, beat a dog to death. The man was banned from the race. I can do some research on the controversy itself and come up with some language. Deirdre 01:02, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * Is the race actually 1150 miles? That fact should be stated in the main section of the article.  And if you put the length somewhere else, you could take out the "dogs are forced to run" wording.  --Dbenbenn 00:02, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC)

There are two routes, a southern and northern route. The northern route is taken in even-numbered years, and is 1036 miles, according to the race website; the southern route is taken in odd-numbered years, and is 1131 miles. This includes the distance from Anchorage to the site of the re-start, usually in Wasilla. So, actually, it varies, and isn't quite as long as indicated in the disputed text. The Yukon Quest, another long-distance race, is 1026 miles. Deirdre 20:04, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * I added the length to the top of the article, though the two routes should be mentioned somewhere. I took the length bit out of the Controversy section.  It's now a stub-section, which could be expanded as you outlined above.


 * Also, I'm confused about the image caption. The original 1925 route was only 25 miles long, "near Anchorage".  It didn't go from Anchorage to Nenana.  So what does the gray line depict?  --Dbenbenn 00:52, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * Also, what's with the sentence
 * Then a series of dog mushers took it overland a total of 260 miles in 127-1/2 hours.
 * Were they that consistent, with the 1/2? How about saying "5 days"?  --Dbenbenn 02:46, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)

When the original serum delivery happened, the diptheria serum was taken by train from Anchorage north, to Nenana, I think, but I'm not positive. From there, it went by dog team relay to Nome. Still, that first part was in the original run, and so is commemorated via the start in Anchorage and then the restart.Deirdre 01:08, 27 Dec 2004 (UTC)

First non-American?
In the section for "firsts" (first to win 4 times, first woman to win, etc), wouldn't it be interesting to note that Robert Sorlie in 2003 was the first non-American to win? Being Norwegian myself, I'm biased, so I figured I'd ask for second opinions on it first before adding. – Rafiki (talk) 08:57, 2 Feb 2005 (UTC)


 * Definitely. (I added it as part of my recent expansions; he still needs an article though, and you can probably read his website better than I :) 68.81.231.127 18:05, 3 Feb 2005 (UTC)


 * I'll see if I can get something started; might wait a bit into the Iditarod to get a better feel for it all and into the spirit of things again ;) – Rafiki (talk) 09:51, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC)

2005 Iditarod updates in a separate article?
Wouldn't all the updates and details about this years Iditarod be better put in an article on its own, and just linked to from this, the general Iditarod article? Say, make an article called Iditarod 2005, and put all the stuff in the section 2005 Iditarod XXXIII starts etc in there. I just think this article can be very long if it should contain all these details as the run progresses... And the next year, and, so on ;-) Shanes 03:03, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)


 * I was resisting that until the race was over... but I think the quick note at the top works well if someone comes looking for current information. Please, feel free to contribute :)


 * At least this article is no longer 59 kb :). I still have to add sections on the volunteers, the Iditarod as a business, hazards, and strategies; expand some sections; and then eliminate redundancies, check against other sources, straighten out the references, and then copyedit everything. But even if I split out the list of winners as well and try to pare down the route section, the article is still quite long. The problem is, nothing else seems to justify a separate article. I'd be interested in hearing any suggestions. 68.81.231.127 04:40, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Dogs
I think the dogs section should be merged into the sled dog article, with only a "main article" link and summary here, and info specific to Iditarod dogs. This article is too long already, it is tangential info here, and the sled dog article could use the help. Gene Nygaard 11:14, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I support this idea CanadaGirl 11:24, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Consistency
In the section of Ceremonial Start, it is stated "The first musher to depart at 10AM AST is an honorary musher, selected for their contributions to dog sledding. From the first race in 1973 until 1980, the honorary musher was Leonhard Seppala, who covered the longest distance in the 1925 diphtheria serum run."

Then following the Seppala link, it is stated "Leonhard Seppala (September 14, 1877 – 1967) was a Norwegian of...".

Apparently, Mr. Seppala passed away 6 years prior to being the honorary musher.


 * A number of honorary mushers received the award after death. The father of the Iditarod (Joe Redington, Sr.) died in 1999, and was named honorary musher the next year (2000). The mother of the Iditarod (Dorothy Page) died in 1989, but didn't become an honorary musher until 1997. See. 68.84.34.154 20:31, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

Sleds
So how much does an average sled with a full load weigh? And, how many dogs (I might've skipped that in the dogs section). I saw a reference during the honorary start to having two people in addition to the sled load... How much weight is being pulled? How much in food/etc? What does a sled look like? ~ender 2006-04-08 22:36:PM MST

Controversy
After moving it around a little and trying to NPOV it up slightly, I became suspicious of the tone of the section I'd been working with and did a Google search for "In the Iditarod, dogs are forced to run 1,150 miles". Sure enough, it's a copyvio. Some parts might not be, and the controversy probably needs to be mentioned somewhere, but I'm not going to sort through it at this point. --Aquillion 01:15, 4 May 2006 (UTC)


 * It is getting pretty obvious that SleddogAC is going to keep adding the non-NPOV information. I suggest that we put in a Controversy section and label it non-NPOV until it can be edited in way that does not violate any of Wikipedia's policies. --Coaster1983 14:03, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Edit: I did put in the Controversy section and put in a NPOV-section tag. I think the controversial aspect of the race needs to be discussed in the article. However, the current negative bias of the section is in violation of Wikipedia's NPOV policy.  The rest of the article is fine.  I think that this section can be a excellent addition to the article if everyone works together.  --Coaster1983 16:06, 4 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Icleaned up recent controversial additions in Dogs and Mushers sections since we now have a Controversy section.--Feyer 17:53, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

"Animal lovers think the race is barbaric." - 1st paragraph. Isn't this a rather broad statement? It implies that ALL animal lovers think the race is barbaric when in reality some dog lovers are mushers and other animal lovers are indifferent to the race. Should not the statement be edited to suggest that some animal rights groups oppose the race? -- William Carraway 25 Aug 2006

Dog Deaths
OK folks, below is a list of Iditarod winners. Where is the list of the 130 known dogs that have died in the Iditarod and the reasons why they died. This is yet again another example of the editors' bias in favor of the Iditarod. The stated goal of Wikipedia is to be neutral. If that's true, where is the list of the dead dogs? Why aren't we told how the dogs died?
 * I am all for listing the names of the dogs and the offical reason for deaths. I know that recent dog deaths can be found either on the offical website or through Anchorage Daily News.  However, does someone have verifable sources of deaths from 1975 to 1997? --Coaster1983 21:10, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I disagree. This section is about the Iditarod winners. There is a controversy section where this would be more appropriate.--Feyer 11:30, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

That dogs have died is not in dispute. The Iditarod has no record of how many dogs died in the race's early years, which is why the statement reads "at least 130 dogs." Dog deaths should not be under the controversy section. I don't think there should a controversy section at all. Sled Dog Action Coalition 8 May 2006


 * Yes dogs have died during the Iditarod. Whether it is 130 or not during the 33 year history is unknown. This year, 1328 dogs were entered in the race, and 4 expired during the event. Dogs have a lifespan of 10-12 years, so we would expect 5 dogs to expire out of that population during that period under normal circumstances. Recognition that dog deaths occur during the event is not controversial, however asserting that each death is caused because of the race is. --Feyer 13:48, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

The dogs who die in the Iditarod are young. Some were puppies. The Iditarod vets claim that only healthy dogs are allowed to race. So if we assume that's true, it would mean that the race killed them. Feyer, are you saying that the dogs who died during the race began when they were sick?


 * Mushers won't use puppies in the iditarod. The youngest they will use are 2 year olds but typically they wait until they are 3 with some experience. The deaths this year were 3 4 and 5 year olds. Each death in the race is followed by a gross necropsy, and reported to the media. Admittedly, this hasn't always been the practice. --Feyer 19:24, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

In the 2006 Iditarod, Katie Davis raced with 18-month-old puppies:

"Her task is guiding a team of 16 "puppies" -- about 18-month-old dogs, young for top-flight racing -- to the finish line to prepare them for future Iditarods."

- The author is talking about the puppies Katie Davis will race in 2006 - Paul Strelow, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, March 3, 2006

There is more information about the mushers racing puppies on http://www.helpsleddogs.org/remarks-mushersmistreatingdogs.htm#Puppies

Even now the cause of some dog deaths are kept a secret as was the case of Oakley who died in 2005. http://www.helpsleddogs.org/remarks-dogdeaths.htm#Cause The cause of death was never given. Look at the current Iditarod website under media advisories. You'll see that a cause of death was not given for every dog death. SledDogAC 9 May 2006

I see that someone removed my edits to the first paragraph. It's only fair that if the article says that Iditarod lovers call it the "Last Great Race" that it should also say what animal protection actitivists call the race. Remember that articles are supposed to be neutral. Margery 9 May 2006


 * Jim Rome can hardly be considered neutral. The reference to "The Last Great Race", as you rightly point out, that can not be considered neutral and has been removed.--Feyer 19:24, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Thank you Feyer. I appreciate your fairness. 9 May 2006 SledDogAC

Wikipedia is not a soapbox.
Please remember that Wikipedia follows a neutral point of view policy. Most of the 'controversy' section in this article read very much like a rant or a piece of propaganda. I've removed most of it, so the section is a bit short now, but feel free to expand it. However, when making accusations, please remember to cite your sources and present your arguments in a neutral way (this includes not using words such as 'brutality'). Also please remember that copyrighted material is not allowed on Wikipedia. - ulayiti (talk)  19:16, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia shouldn't be a soapbox for Iditarod lovers
Why did you delete the material I published on the page about the Iditarod? Did you see that the material was referenced? Wikipedia articles in their totality are supposed to be neutral. How can the article be neutral if the animal protection viewpoint isn't given equal weight? Regardless of your viewpoint on the Iditarod, I think that you need to be fair. I was in the process of adding more documentation. If you had concerns, why didn't you write to me first? For example, if it's OK to say that Iditarod lovers think the race is a test of perseverance, it should be OK to say what animal protection activists think. Information of this sort-- what both sides think-- is what will make the article neutral. SledDogAC 9 May 2006


 * Most of it was propaganda, and at least some of it was taken verbatim from the Internet, making it a copyright violation. Feel free to add more information to the article, as long as it's written in an unbiased way and it's legal to have it on Wikipedia.


 * Oh, and I don't have a 'viewpoint' on the Iditarod at all. In fact, I'd never even heard of it before I came across this little situation you've got here. - ulayiti (talk)  20:27, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

You need to review Wikipedia's copyright guidelines. I am the writer of the material you claim is the copyright material. I am not violating my own copyright. The sentences I did not write I put quotes around like Tom Classen telling Jon Saraceno about Iditarod dogs being skinned for their fur. The bottom line is that for the Iditarod page to be neutral it ought to give equal weight to both sides. If you edit out the material which articulates the animal protection viewpoint, you, in effect do have a viewpoint on the Iditarod. That you called what I wrote "propaganda" when it is factual or reflects the feelings of animal protection activists shows just how unfair you are. As I said before, if it's OK to say that Iditarod lovers think of the race as a test of perserverance, it's OK to say what people in protection think. 9 May 2006


 * If it's your own copyright, you're actually voiding it by releasing the material under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. So it's not copyrighted any more (read: you don't have the copyright for it any more), but it's still grossly against the principles of Wikipedia and not encyclopaedic. I've requested protection for this article at WP:RFP. - ulayiti (talk)  09:02, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

The facts speak for themselves. Most of what I wrote is my own material. And most of it is quotes. Your actions speak louder than words, Ulayiti. I responded to your reqest to block changes to the Iditarod page: No Full Protection for Iditarod page requested The person who made the request to have full protetion for the Iditarod page, Ulayiti, does not want the page to mention the animal protection veiwpoint on the Iditarod. Details are given about the race course and who won the race. It's only fair that it also includes details about dog deaths, illnesses and injuries in the race. I have not removed information that I disagreed with. I simply added the animal protection viewpoint. Ulayiti claims to have no opinion, yet this person constantly deletes the animal protection viewpoint. If the Iditarod page is to meet Wikipedia's desire that articles as a whole be neutral, equal weight should be given to the animal protection side of the Iditarod story. I suspect that Ulayiti is asking for full protection as a way of keeping information about the cruelties the dogs endure for getting to the general public. 12 May 2006 SledDogAC


 * Animal protection point of view is certainly necessary. However, the article needs to be neutral point of view. Your concern for the animals, however well meaning, is not a neutral point of view towards the editting of this article. Locking the page at this point probably is necessary since there's a full on revert war, instead of trying to incorporate changes. Dstanfor 14:36, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

I have incorporated changes. What I want to include (see below) is referenced. Why shouldn't it be kept on the Iditarod page? - SledDogAC 23 May 2006

Dog deaths

At least 130 dogs have died in the Iditarod. There is no official count of dog deaths available for the race's early years. In "WinterDance: the Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod," a nonfiction book, Gary Paulsen describes witnessing an Iditarod musher brutally kicking a dog to death during the race. He wrote, "All the time he was kicking the dog. Not with the imprecision of anger, the kicks, not kicks to match his rage but aimed, clinical vicious kicks. Kicks meant to hurt deeply, to cause serious injury. Kicks meant to kill."

Causes of death have also included strangulation in towlines, internal hemorrhaging after being gouged by a sled, liver injury, heart failure, and pneumonia. "Sudden death" and "external myopathy," a fatal condition in which a dog's muscles and organs deteriorate during extreme or prolonged exercise, have also occurred.

- 2005 Iditarod dog deaths -

Paul Gebhardt's dog Rita, a three-year old female, died of anemia which was caused by gastric ulcers. 

Doug Swingley's dog Nellie, a two-year old female, died of pneumonia. 

Jason Barron's dog Oakley, a four-year old female, died about eleven miles out of the Safety checkpoint. A necropsy was to have been conducted, but the Iditarod has not released the results. 

Michael Salvisberg's dog Tyson, a three-year old male, drowned in the Bering Sea. 

- 2006 Iditarod dog deaths -

Noah Burmeister's dog Yellowknife, a four-year old male, died of acute pneumonia. 

David Sawatzky's dog Bear, a three-year old male, died. A gross necropsy was to have been given, but the Iditarod has not released the results. 

Dr. Jim Lanier's dog Cupid, a four-year old female died as a result of regurgitation and aspiration as a result of the presence of gastric ulcers. 

Ron Cortte's dog Jack, a five-year old male, died at the White Mountain checkpoint after being examined by veterinarians thirty minutes prior. A gross necropsy performed on Jack revealed no abnormalities. Microscopic evaluations and cultures were to have done, but the Iditarod has not released the results. 

In the 2001 Iditarod, a sick dog was sent to a prison to be cared for by inmates and received no veterinary care. He was chained up in the cold and died. Another dog died by suffocating on his own vomit.

Other ways dogs suffer during the Iditarod:

Here's a short list of what happens to the dogs during the race: death, paralysis, penile frostbite, bleeding ulcers, broken bones, pneumonia, torn muscles and tendons, diarrhea, vomiting, hypothermia, fur loss, broken teeth, viral diseases, torn footpads, ruptured discs, sprains and lung damage.

On average, 53 percent of the dogs who start the race do not make it across the finish line. According to a report published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, of those who do cross, 81 percent have lung damage. Another study found that dogs who were tested after four months rest, which was the last check the dogs received, still had lung damage  The A report published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine said that 61 percent of the dogs who finish the Iditarod have ulcers versus zero percent pre-race.

Dogs are beaten:

Tom Classen, retired Air Force colonel and Alaskan resident for over 40 years, tells us that the dogs are beaten into submission:

"They've had the hell beaten out of them." "You don't just whisper into their ears, 'OK, stand there until I tell you to run like the devil.' They understand one thing: a beating. These dogs are beaten into submission the same way elephants are trained for a circus. The mushers will deny it. And you know what? They are all lying." -USA Today, March 3, 2000 in Jon Saraceno's column

Beatings and whippings are common. Jim Welch says in his book Speed Mushing Manual, "I heard one highly respected [sled dog] driver once state that "'Alaskans like the kind of dog they can beat on.'" "Nagging a dog team is cruel and ineffective...A training device such as a whip is not cruel at all but is effective." "It is a common training device in use among dog mushers...A whip is a very humane training tool."

Dogs killed and skinned for fur:

Mushers believe in "culling" or killing unwanted dogs, including puppies. Many dogs who are permanently disabled in the Iditarod, or who are unwanted for any reason, are killed with a shot to the head, dragged or clubbed to death. "On-going cruelty is the law of many dog lots. Dogs are clubbed with baseball bats and if they don't pull are dragged to death in harnesses....." wrote Alaskan Mike Cranford in an article for Alaska's Bush Blade Newspaper (March, 2000).

Jon Saraceno wrote in his March 3, 2000 column in USA Today, "He [Colonel Tom Classen] confirmed dog beatings and far worse. Like starving dogs to maintain their most advantageous racing weight. Skinning them to make mittens. Or dragging them to their death."

Dogs live on chains:

Many kennels have over 100 dogs and some have as many as 200. It is standard for the dogs to spend their entire lives outside tethered to metal chains that can be as short as four feet long. In 1997 the United States Department of Agriculture determined that the tethering of dogs was inhumane and not in the animals' best interests. The chaining of dogs as a primary means of enclosure is prohibited in all cases where federal law applies. A dog who is permanently tethered is forced to urinate and defecate where he sleeps, which conflicts with his natural instinct to eliminate away from his living area. The American Veterinary Medical Association said, "Confine your dog in a fenced yard or dog run when it is not in the house. Never tether or chain your dog because this can contribute to aggressive behavior." 

Have you noticed that Iditarod lovers keep removing external links to animal protection websites?

If Wikipedia is to be neutral it should have links to such websites as
 * Sled Dog Action Coalition
 * Human Society of the United States
 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
 * Asssociation of Veterinarians for Animal Rights

Why aren't administrators banning people who remove the external links to animal protection websites?

SledDogAC 23 May 2006


 * Wikipedia has a neutral point of view policy. Remember, the focus of this article is about the race. There is some controversy and that should be mentioned from a neutral point of view, however the focus of the article is the race and not the controversy, so take a measured approach, and remember, Wikipedia is not a soapbox to push personal agendas. Most of your material is copied word for word from other web sites. It is OK to reformulate ideas in your own words while citing sources thus avoiding plagiarism.--Sk8ski 13:42, 24 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Keep your criticism in the "Criticism from animal rights groups" section. Do not intersperse it into the text. You can add your links there.  Copyright violations are an issue because cannot know that you are the original author of content from various other sites.  So please reword.

--Thalia42 23:45, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Ceremonial Start
I've been to the ceremonial start, and this section misses the mark. There is no mobbing of the mushers and dogs and the teams don't run into the crowds. I can find no reference that says this is the most trying portion of the race. In fact when I spoke to Aliy Zirkle, she said this is the most enjoyable portion given the time does not count and the distance is short. I'll try to make some corrections to this section.--Feyer 11:46, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Mushers have reported that dogs become stressed during the ceremonial start. This portion is enjoyable for the mushers, because they get so much public attention. May 12 2006 SledDogAC

Martin Buser
Since Martin Buser won for the first time in 1992, and did not become an american citizen until 2002, wouldn't that make him the first foreigner to win the Iditarod?

Snakemike 10:45, 19 May 2006 (UTC) (Note that I'm biased, I'm from Switzerland myself)


 * It depends on how you define foreigner. He moved to Wasilla Alaska in 1979, so in fact had been living in the US for 13 years before winning the race. How about first "foreign born"?--Feyer 12:04, 19 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Wikipedia defines a foreigner as a person who is not a "native or naturalized citizen" (Foreigner --> Alien) Snakemike 12:24, 19 May 2006 (UTC)


 * You make a solid case. I suggest you make the change. Maybe it will help Martin get back in the groove! Sørlie still deserves an honorable mention I think. --Feyer 12:40, 19 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Alright I changed the wording (and I saw you changed the flag). Do you think the wording is ok? Snakemike 13:56, 19 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Looks good. I think we need to change home state of Swingley. He lives in Montana.--Feyer 14:21, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Dogs and other animals aren't machines and shouldn't be refered to as "it" or "its"
Because dogs and other animals are not machines or inanimate objects, they should not be referred to as "it" or "its" in the article. I am going to edit the words "it" or "its" that refer to sentient beings-- animals. 24 May 2006 SledDogAC ¨
 * Other articles mirror your point and use the animals name instead of "it", for example in Dog. Doesn't read as nice, however technically you are correct. Funny thing though is that It means Dog in turkish (scroll to the bottom) Snakemike 09:58, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

Number of activists
Hi SleddogAC, is there a reason you edited the wording of the sentence ( and ) twice? I removed the wording to a more neutral version. Please provide numbers if you are to modify that again. Snakemike 15:09, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

NPOV achieved?
Apart for some slight edit-warring, the article has been stable for a while now and from the comments I think many consider it as NPOV. Unless I hear otherwise, I will therefore remove the tag by June 30th --Snakemike 06:47, 23 June 2006 (UTC)


 * I agree. --Feyer 16:56, 23 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I also agree. --Coaster1983 22:36, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

Done. --Snakemike 09:59, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

Lead Section
I think that the lead section needs to be modified a bit. Instead of the individual finish times of the three mushers, I would suggest using the 8-15 day range.

I also suggest incorporating the Overview section into the lead since it seems redundant for two sections to overview the article.
 * The above is my orginal comment. I have finally merged the Overveiw section into the lead section.  I went through the article history and found that someone had divided up the lead section by inserted a section title in March 2006.  I also rewrote some of the lead section.  I removed the times of two mushers as they were not necessary.


 * I am interested in hearing any comments.Coaster1983 15:04, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

Dog statue not Balto?
The Anchorage, AK article says the dog in the statue is mistaken for, but is not in fact, Balto. If this is the case, this article needs to change, as does the caption and title of the image. Nat 00:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

The constant Critcisms additions
It would appear that a group is intentionaly targeting Wikipedia to have this information included in the article. The sheer number of edits from various accounts and IP addresses makes this clear. Probably some PETA freaks who can't see the reality of the situation. Alyeska 18:43, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
 * More likely the same user, SledDogAC, editing through AOL to circumvent a block. Voice -of- All  18:58, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

(sighs) or that too. Persistence is overrated. Alyeska 19:45, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Seppala inconsistency
This article says "From the first race in 1973 until 1980, the honorary musher was Leonhard Seppala, who covered the longest distance in the 1925 diphtheria serum run" but Leonard Seppala says he died in 1967. At least one of them needs fixing.

Nat 00:00, 26 December 2006 (UTC)


 * It's not an inconsistency, it's just unclear. The honorary musher doesn't have to be alive. Dorothy Page, for instance, was the honorary musher in 1997, despite dying in 1989. -Pat | 68.42.4.76 21:08, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Needs protection

 * I think this page needs protection from vandals and animal rights zealots!--Hailey 00:37, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Map of the course?
I think this article sorely needs some kind of a map of the course, rather than just a description. That's pretty fundamental, no? Mycroft7 17:15, 17 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Which course? the start frequently moves, theres a north route for... even years, I think, and a south course for odd years (odd and even may be reversed, my memories failing atm). There may be a chance to create a basic map showing both routes, but the race changes too often to do a detailed map. - M  ask?  08:49, 2 May 2007 (UTC)