1,100-Mile Dog Sled Race Under Way in Alaska
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: The Iditarod trail sled dog race under way in Alaska. The 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome commemorates a feat that was achieved in 1925, when mushers and sled dogs delivered life-saving diphtheria serum to Nome. For the latest, we go live to CNN's Lilian Kim in Anchorage -- Lilian.</s>LILIAN KIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Donna. We are in downtown Anchorage, and this is by far the easiest leg of the race in the days ahead. Mushers and their dogs must navigate through rough terrain in sub-zero temperatures. So today, it's largely ceremonial where mushers, dogs and spectators can just have a good time.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three, two, one.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the start of Iditarod 29.</s>KIM (voice-over): One by one, mushers and their dog teams left the start line in downtown Anchorage. What lies ahead: 1,100 miles through the Alaskan wilderness. Thousands of spectators lined the street to watch the race first hand, known as the last great race on Earth.</s>SUP ENGE, SPECTATOR: Be able to pull that many pounds over that many days over terrain and weather conditions is awesome.</s>KIM: Among the 68 mushers, 22 are rookies, eight are women, including Dee Dee Jonrowe. A sentimental favorite, Jonrowe has come in second twice before. This year, she hopes to go all the way.</s>DEE DEE JONROWE, TWO-TIME RUNNER-UP: I'm driven for first place, that's for sure, but you know, the most important thing is that you get the very best performance that your dogs have to offer. And if, in fact, the very best they can offer you is the second-place finish, as opposed to a first-place finish, well then, you just kiss them and hug them, and you take them home.</s>KIM: The heavy favorite -- Doug Swingley of Montana. He won the Iditarod last year. The first and only non-Alaskan winner is said to have the strongest and fastest team of dogs.</s>DOUG SWINGLEY, THREE-TIME CHAMPION: I think that we've concentrated on their athletic abilities and their resiliency and a lot of positive reinforcement training, which makes them want to do it and go as fast as they can. I think that that really makes a big difference.</s>KIM: The 1,100-mile trail has it its share of hazards in years past. Mushers have slammed into trees, have broken into thin ice, have gotten lost in blizzards, so not everyone is expected to reach the finish line in Nome, but if they do, it usually takes them about nine to 15 days. Reporting live from Anchorage, Alaska, I am Lilian Kim. Donna, back to you.</s>KELLEY: Lilian, before I was saying that they were a little concerned that they didn't have enough snow. Plenty of snow now?</s>KIM: Well, they had to bring the snow into downtown Anchorage, which is what they have to do every year, but in the beginning part of the trail, there wasn't enough snow, so they had to reroute the start of the race. But apparently, everything is OK, and everything should go by smoothly, as they go further down the trail.</s>KELLEY: OK, Lilian Kim in Anchorage, thank you.