Northpole - Fairbanks
Start/Finish
Checkpoint
Dogdrop
(Distanz 50 km, Zeit ca. 3-4 Stunden )
Radio stations will report now "live" over the last kilometers and a total city waits for the arrival of the victors. One year Schandelmeier, Mackey and May delivered themselves a duel in the sun of the afternoon sun a duel, in which they had after 1600 km less than 20 minutes from one to the other.
The single hindrance of the race, which leads on the frozen ice
of the Chena Rivers into the inner cities of Fairbanks, for the
victors is now the civilization. Rejoicing quantities of persons
will stand at the bank, dogs are specially here in spite of warning
and threat of criminal proceedings a danger and the teams have
left the bush behind them.
Who wins always overtired and exhausted, will come through the goal line and
take care of his/her dogs before taking all the congratulations.
This is the behaviour… and exactly in the the same manner the Mushers
proceed in every stretch post. No Musher warms up itself, eats or rests before
it did not furnish his dogs. One of the unwritten laws which is followed by
everybody.
The winner gets $30,000, but even the winner of the 15th place receives $1500
and the last participant who reaches the finish line, "the red lantern",
a desired price. Of the 32 teams, that left Whitehorse, probably less than
20 will reach Fairbanks and while they feiern the winner nobody
at least from Alaska and the Yukon Territories will forget that all mushers
that finished the race with circumspection, dear, Durchhaltevermögen and
the instinct of the leaddogs, more than a respect.
While the red lantern is given to the team that finished as last the race it also symbolizes the idea that healthy dogs and an a successfully concluded Trail was more important hundred years ago as speed.
