Arnold, CA….We had the few pleasure to spend a few minutes yesterday with Arnold resident Dave Wagner before he headed up for his last local practice session before he heads up to Alaska to get ready for the 2,645 mile 2021 Iron Dog.  In his first start last year his team even lead the race for awhile before one of their snow machines burned to the ground.  Back this year for round two he and his team seek to learn and build on last year’s experience.  The latest updates and history of the Iron Dog is below…

World’s Longest, Toughest Snowmobile Race is slated to leave Big Lake, Alaska in February 2021 with an Expedition Class of 13 teams starting on February 11 followed by a Pro Class of 26 teams on February 13.

Iron Dog Inc. understands the challenges, on numerous fronts, facing us this year and are working with our checkpoint communities based on recommendations from Capstone Clinic and Valley Imaging Center, to establish a comprehensive COVID-19 plan to ensure this unique Alaskan tradition continues.

More information about the 2021 Iron Dog racecourse and COVID-19 plan will be finalized in the coming weeks.

To share your input, offer volunteer services or to sponsor this Iconic Alaskan Event and ensure the tradition continues please contact director@irondog.org, or call 907-563-4414.

The Iron Dog began in 1984 as the “Iron Dog Iditarod”. Today, 37 years later it is known as The Iron Dog and spans more than 2,600 miles starting in Big Lake, with a halfway stop in Nome, then around the Kotzebue Loop, before returning to Big Lake.

The first Iron Dog event started in 1984, in Big Lake following the Northern Route of the Historic Iditarod Trail to Nome. The event began as the “Iron Dog Iditarod”, but the name was quickly changed the next year to the “Gold Rush Classic”, in 1990 the race was recognized as the “Iron Dog Gold Rush Classic” for a decade until Tesoro Corporation became a title sponsor, thus recognizing the event as the “Tesoro Iron Dog”. Today, we simply refer to the race and ourselves as The Iron Dog. The event was sponsored by the Alaska National Guard from 2009-2016 which allowed the Iron Dog to grow significantly. In 2020, history was made when the Iron Dog looped north from Koyuk and included the Kotzebue Loop, adding another 375 miles onto the course for a total of 2,400-plus miles.

Today’s Iron Dog course distance is more than 2,600 miles, starting in Big Lake, with a halfway stop in Nome, then around the Kotzebue Loop, before returning back to Big Lake. Participants cover some of Alaska’s the most remote and rugged terrain while confronting some the harshest winter conditions. Survival skills are essential, and all teams in race classes are a team of two persons and two snowmachines for safety.

The Iron Dog offers a non-competitive Expedition class giving adventure seekers an opportunity to travel 1,100 miles on the Northern Route of Historic Iditarod Trail to Nome. These teams of two or more travel the same race trail as the Pro Class Teams.