Norwegian takes lead in Alaska's Iditarod, as race looks for relevance

A 46-year-old musher born in England and raised in Norway is leading the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska on Tuesday.

Thomas Waerner of Torpa, Norway, arrived at the checkpoint in Rohn late Monday night. He and his 14 dogs stayed at the checkpoint for only nine minutes before taking off for the 120-kilometre run toward the next checkpoint in Nikolai.

This is Waerner's second Iditarod; he finished 17th in 2015 and was named Rookie of the Year.

There are 28 other mushers who have also left the Rohn checkpoint. Another Norwegian, 2018 champion Joar Leifseth Ulsom, was in second place. The rest of the top five mushers were Alaskans: Jessie Royer, Richie Diehl and Ramey Smyth.

Mitch Seavey, a three-time Iditarod winner, was in seventh place, while defending champion Pete Kaiser was in 10th.

The race started Sunday for 57 mushers in Willow, Alaska, about 80 kilometres north of Anchorage. The winner of the roughly 1609-kilometre race across Alaska is expected at the finish line in Nome sometime next week.

'A race for relevance'

With 57 mushers, this is the second-smallest field in the past two decades. Only last year's field of 52 was smaller.

Interest in the world's most famous sled dog race has waned in recent years, in part because of smaller cash prizes that make it difficult for mushers to compete in an expensive sport. Animal rights activists have also stepped up pressure on sponsors to drop their support.

Now, Iditarod officials are looking to breathe new life into the competition, joining a global sled-dog racing series that features TV coverage and a GPS tracking platform they hope will appeal to fans. They are also adding a betting element for the first time this year, and plan to create some type of fantasy application for future races.

"Like many sports," Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach said, "we are in a race for relevance."

Musher Pete Kaiser believes the recent decrease in mushers could just be cyclical as mushers can afford to race for only one year and then have to work to build up cash for another race. Smaller purses don't help.

The payout to mushers who place has fallen in the past few years. Seavey pocketed $71,250 for winning the 2017 race; Kaiser collected $51,299 last year.

For Kaiser, race winnings, combined with a summer job and his kennel, allow him to compete in the sport he loves.

"If any one of those things isn't in order, then all of a sudden you feel like you're struggling," he said.

PETA goes after sponsors

Sponsorships are important not only to the mushers but to the Iditarod's overall financial health. Officials deem them so important that during the race's annual meeting for media, they invited representatives from the Iditarod's biggest sponsors — not the mushers — to address reporters. This year, sponsors touted the good dog care mushers provide and tried to blunt criticism by the race's most vocal critic, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA calls the Iditarod cruel to the canine participants, and for years has pressed its main sponsors to bow out.

Last week, the organization announced Alaska Airlines is dropping its sponsorship after this year's race, following PETA protests outside its Seattle headquarters and meetings with PETA representatives.

The airline, which got its start in Alaska decades ago, confirmed the decision but said it represents a shift in its corporate giving strategy and had nothing to do with PETA.

"It's a big blow," said Bob Dorfman, a sports branding expert with Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco. "Whether Alaska Airlines will admit it or not, I'm sure it's the pressure from PETA that is causing them to drop the sponsorship."

PETA claims more than 150 dogs have died horrible deaths running the Iditarod since it began in 1973. The Iditarod disputes that number but has declined to provide its own count despite numerous requests by The Associated Press.

Addition of gambling

The Iditarod hopes for increased exposure this year by being a crowning race in the inaugural Arctic World Series, which also includes competitions in Minnesota, Finland and Russia. The series, backed by a Norwegian pet food supplement company, is designed to grow the sport's popularity. 

Another aspect that could help attract fans is the addition of gambling this year. For $10 a bet, people can predict which musher will win, their time into Nome, and how many of dogs they have when the cross the finish line. Mushers traditionally start the race with 14 dogs but can drop animals that aren't running well. A musher must cross the finish line with at least five dogs in the harness.

Prize amounts will be determined by the number of entries, with a portion going to the Iditarod.

While tther sports have increased their presence if not popularity by adding gambling, the Iditarod has challenges others don't, Dorfman said.

"It's such an esoteric event," he said. And now that there's negative publicity around the race, "it's really going to be a
challenge to somehow get interest in the Lower 48, especially as long as animal cruelty is swirling around it.

"That's not going to help at all," he said.