11 amazing facts about the Iditarod

There's even a Jamaican dog sled team

Jamaican dog sled
(Image credit: (Al Grillo/ZUMA Press/Corbis))

The mushers crossed the finish line early Tuesday in the Iditarod. The annual dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome began on March 2nd, and the winner, Dallas Seavey, crossed the finish line at 4:04 a.m. Alaska time. It was the second win for Seavey. For Aliy Zirkle, who crossed at a 4:06 a.m., it was the third time coming in second place. It was also a hard night for Jeff King, who had a one hour lead until he was blown off course by a blizzard and had to drop out. The Iditarod can be brutal and trying, but it is always exciting. Here are 11 amazing facts about "the last great race on Earth."

1. RACE TIMES HAVE GOTTEN TWICE AS FAST SINCE IT STARTED.

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Arika Okrent

Arika Okrent is editor-at-large at TheWeek.com and a frequent contributor to Mental Floss. She is the author of In the Land of Invented Languages, a history of the attempt to build a better language. She holds a doctorate in linguistics and a first-level certification in Klingon. Follow her on Twitter.