Iditarod 2012 is Underway!

It has begun! The ceremonial start of the 40th annual Iditarod race is underway, with Ray Redington Jr. (son of Iditarod founder Joe Redington) currently leading the pack out of Anchorage, Alaska along an 11 mile stretch of trail to Campell Airstrip in preparation for tomorrow's official start.

This year, 66 teams have entered the race that snakes its way across 975 miles of snow-covered wilderness from Anchorage to Nome, a trip that can take anywhere from 8 to 15 days in optimal conditions.

Check back in with I Has a Hot Dog tomorrow for recap coverage of the ceremonial start, official start information, and don't forget to join in the captioning fun by visiting our doggy lol builder!

See you on the trail!