ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) " Mushers pumped their fists and high-fived fans Monday as they set out one-by-one on the world's most famous sled dog race, a nearly 1,000-mile trek through the grueling Alaska wilderness. The grandson of a co-founder of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was the first competitor on the trail in Fairbanks, in the heart of the state. The contest has a staggered start so fans, including 2,600 schoolchildren, can cheer on the competitors, who leave every two minutes. The Iditarod hasn't had a female winner since the late Susan Butcher won her fourth race in 1990. ___This story has been corrected to show that 71 mushers started the race Monday, not 72.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 06, 2017 20:03 UTC