Iditarod Dog Sled Race 2013: Dates, Start Time and Event Info

The competition known as the Last Great Race is set to begin on March 2 in Anchorage, Alaska. For those that are unaware of the Iditarod, it is an annual dog-sledding race that has been run since 1973.

The race can last over two weeks, with teams forced to endure extreme temperatures to reach the finish line. The Iditarod has evolved into quite the spectacle that garners attention from most sports news outlets.

From those that pay attention simply because they view it as a novelty to those that are die-hard fans, the Iditarod is one of the year's biggest sports events.

Want to catch coverage of the great race? Here's how you can watch:

When: Saturday, March 2, 2 p.m. ET

Where: Anchorage, Alaska

TV: GCI Network in Alaska

Other Options for Following Race: Iditarod.com

Mushers

(per Iditarod.com)

2013 Iditarod Mushers

Entrant #	Musher Name	Sex	City	State	Country	Status
1	Christine Roalofs	F	Anchorage	AK	USA	Rookie
2	Newton Marshall	M	St. Anne		JAMAICA	Veteran
3	Ken Anderson	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Veteran
4	Michelle Phillips	F	Tagish	YT	CANADA	Veteran
5	DeeDee Jonrowe	F	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
6	Gerry Willomitzer	M	Whitehorse	YT	CANADA	Veteran
7	Scott Janssen	M	Anchorage	AK	USA	Veteran
8	Peter Kaiser	M	Bethel	AK	USA	Veteran
9	Gerald Sousa	M	Talkeetna	AK	USA	Veteran
10	Jessie Royer	F	Darby	MT	USA	Veteran
11	Michael Suprenant	M	Chugiak	AK	USA	Veteran
12	Kelly Maixner	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
13	Robert Bundtzen	M	Anchorage	AK	USA	Veteran
14	Luan Ramos Marques	M	Macae		BRAZIL	Rookie
15	Paul Gebhardt	M	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
16	Mike Williams, Sr.	M	Akiak	AK	USA	Veteran
17	Mitch Seavey	M	Seward	AK	USA	Veteran
18	Bob Chlupach	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
19	Ray Redington Jr	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
20	Martin Buser	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
21	Rudy Demoski, Sr.	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
22	Jason Mackey	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
23	Cim Smyth	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
24	Paige Drobny	F	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Rookie
25	Joar Leifseth Ulsom	M	Roros		NORWAY	Rookie
26	Curt Perano	M	Queenstown		NEW ZEALAND	Veteran
27	Angie Taggart	F	Ketchikan	AK	USA	Veteran
28	Ed Stielstra	M	McMillan	MI	USA	Veteran
29	Jan Steves	F	Edmonds	WA	USA	Veteran
30	Kristy Berington	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
31	Jodi Bailey	F	Chatanika	AK	USA	Veteran
32	Cindy Gallea	F	Wykoff	MN	USA	Veteran
33	Jeff King	M	Denali	AK	USA	Veteran
34	Aliy Zirkle	F	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
35	Travis Beals	M	Seward	AK	USA	Rookie
36	Allen Moore	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
37	Karin Hendrickson	F	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
38	Mike Ellis	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Rookie
39	Nicolas Petit	M	Girdwood	AK	USA	Veteran
40	Linwood Fiedler	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
41	Michael Williams, Jr.	M	Akiak	AK	USA	Veteran
42	Ramey Smyth	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
43	Lance Mackey	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Veteran
44	Aaron Burmeister	M	Nome	AK	USA	Veteran
45	Jake Berkowitz	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
46	Charley Bejna	M	Addison	IL	USA	Rookie
47	Justin Savidis	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
48	Dallas Seavey	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
49	Anna Berington	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
50	Kelley Griffin	F	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
51	John Baker	M	Kotzebue	AK	USA	Veteran
52	Richie Diehl	M	Aniak	AK	USA	Rookie
53	James Volek	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Rookie
54	Brent Sass	M	Manley Hot Springs	AK	USA	Veteran
55	Matt Failor	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
56	Jessica Hendricks	F	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
57	Aaron Peck	M	Bezanson	AB	CANADA	Veteran
58	Jim Lanier	M	Chugiak	AK	USA	Veteran
59	Josh Cadzow	M	Fort Yukon	AK	USA	Rookie
60	David Sawatzky	M	Healy	AK	USA	Veteran
61	Sonny Lindner	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
62	Mikhail Telpin	M	Yanrakynnot	Chukotka	RUSSIA	Rookie
63	Wade Marrs	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
64	Louie Ambrose	M	St. Michael	AK	USA	Rookie
65	Matt Giblin	M	Sterling	AK	USA	Veteran
66	Cindy Abbott	F	Irvine	CA	USA	Rookie

The Rigors of the Race

Being competitive in the Iditarod is about more than endurance and speed. A musher must also know how to maintain his or her sled.

One of the major maintenance actions a musher has to master is changing the runner on a sled. Watch 2012 Iditarod Champion, Dallas Seavey, demonstrate this action smoothly.

This is no easy task.

Little nuances like this are just one of the details that can be taken for granted, but the thought of performing this maintenance under the pressures of a race, with your dogs waiting for you to get back on the sled and in adverse temperatures is a daunting task.

Ex-Champions in the Field

Seavey is the defending champion, but he is just one of six past champions competing in this year's race.

Joining him is Lance Mackey, Martin Buser and Jeff King (who have all won four times), the 2011 champion and record holder for fastest finish, John Baker, and 2004 champion, Mitch Seavey, who is Dallas' father.

With that lineup, this will be a star-studded field vying for supremacy in 2013.

Favorite

This seems like the younger Seavey's time. In the race's history, we've seen mushers go on runs with consecutive victories four times.

Most recently, Mackey won four in a row from 2007-2010. Seavey may very well be on his way to that type of run.

He is my pick to emerge victorious.

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