When Alaskans have a snow machine race (what people in the lower 48 call “snowmobiles” are called “snow machines” in the Great Land), they don’t pussyfoot around. The Iron Dog race is a 2,500-mile snow machine race that begins in Big Lake, Alaska, just west of Wasilla, and ends up in Nome – the route runs through a great deal of Alaskan wilderness. It’s a challenge to test the mettle of the toughest Alaskan, and the 2024 Iron Dog is going on right now, having kicked off on Saturday.
A brutal, unforgiving race, the Iron Dog is considered by many one of the toughest snowmachine races in the world.
In its 40th edition, 23 Pro Class teams race from Big Lake to Nome and back, including the Kotzebue Loop. The race began Saturday morning in Big Lake. The game plan for the more than 2,500-mile race is consistent for most teams.
“We want to stay clean for the first day, get the first day…
