The 2011 Iditarod Sled Dog Race officially began Sunday in Willow, Alaska, with 62 teams headed to Nome. The teams will traverse 1,131 miles to get to their destination. Because this is an odd-numbered year, the teams will use the
Southern Route. The race will take between 9 and 13 days to complete. There are 25 checkpoints along the way.
Each of the dogs wears specialty neoprene booties for the trip which are replaced often. The dog booties help with traction, prevent cuts and injuries and have fleece linings for warmth. You can see examples of the dog booties here. CNN reports:
