Iditarod

The Iditarod is a dogsled race run each year between Nome and Anchorage, Alaska, tracing a route used by dogsled teams to carry freight across Alaska more than 80 years ago. Racers, called “mushers,” must brave the elements of harsh weather and the Alaskan wilderness to complete this race, which has taken racers anywhere from eight days to over a month to complete.

Early Childhood

After stopping at the fourth checkpoint, racers have travelled 123 miles with their dogsled teams. If the total distance between Anchorage and Nome is 975 miles, how many more miles must they travel to complete the race?

Upper Elementary

During the Iditarod, racer Cindy Galles left the checkpoint at Rohn on her way to Nikolai. Cindy was caught in a heavy storm. Blinded by the snow and wind, she drove her dogsled right past Nikolai checkpoint to McGrath. If the distance from Rohn to Nikolai is 75 miles, and the distance from Nikolai to McGrath is 48 miles, how far did Cindy travel to reach the checkpoint in McGrath?

Middle School

The chart below shows the names of the first 5 checkpoints in the Iditarod race, as well as their distance from the race’s starting point, in Anchorage, Alaska. Using a ruler and paper, draw a map of the first 5 checkpoints. Use the following scale: 1 inch= 50 miles.

Checkpoint Distance from Anchorage

Campbell Airstrip: 11 miles

Yentna Station:      53 miles

Skwentna:             83 miles

Finger Lake:         123 miles

Rainy Pass:          153 miles

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