The annual race stretches from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Begun in 1973, the course follows an old frozen river route and is named after a deserted mining town along the way. In even-numbered years, the trail follows the 1,151-mile long Northern Route, while in odd-numbered years, it takes the slightly different 1,161 Southern Route. The Iditarod also commemorates a famous midwinter emergency to get medical supplies to Nome during a 1925 diphtheria epidemic. Men and women mushers compete together. In 2006, Jeff King of Denali Park, Alaska, won his fourth Iditarod and the prizes of $69,000 and a new truck. At 50, King is the oldest person to win the race.
| Year | Elapsed Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dick Wilmarth | 20 days, 00:49:41 |
| 1974 | Carl Huntington | 20 days, 15:02:07 |
| 1975 | Emmitt Peters | 14 days, 14:43:45 |
| 1976 | Gerald Riley | 18 days, 22:58:17 |
| 1977 | Rick Swenson | 16 days, 16:27:13 |
| 1978 | Dick Mackey | 14 days, 18:52:24 |
| 1979 | Rick Swenson | 15 days, 10:37:47 |
| 1980 | Joe May | 14 days, 07:11:51 |
| 1981 | Rick Swenson | 12 days, 08:45:02 |
| 1982 | Rick Swenson | 16 days, 04:40:10 |
| 1983 | Rick Mackey | 12 days, 14:10:44 |
| 1984 | Dean Osmar | 12 days, 15:07:33 |
| 1985 | Libby Riddles | 18 days, 00:20:17 |
| 1986 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 15:06:00 |
| 1987 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 02:05:13 |
| 1988 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 11:41:40 |
| 1989 | Joe Runyan | 11 days, 05:24:34 |
| 1990 | Susan Butcher | 11 days, 01:53:23 |
| 1991 | Rick Swenson | 12 days, 16:34:39 |
| 1992 | Martin Buser | 10 days, 19:17:00 |
| 1993 | Jeff King | 10 days, 15:38:15 |
| 1994 | Martin Buser | 10 days, 13:02:39 |
| 1995 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 02:42:19 |
| 1996 | Jeff King | 9 days, 05:43:13 |
| 1997 | Martin Buser | 9 days, 08:31:45 |
| 1998 | Jeff King | 9 days, 05:52:26 |
| 1999 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 14:31:07 |
| 2000 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 00:58:06 |
| 2001 | Doug Swingley | 9 days, 19:55:50 |
| 2002 | Martin Buser | 8 days, 22:46:02* |
| 2003 | Robert Sorlie | 9 days, 15:47:36 |
| 2004 | Mitch Seavey | 9 days, 12:20:22 |
| 2005 | Robert Sorlie | 9 days, 18:39:31 |
| 2006 | Jeff King | 9 days, 11:11:36 |
| 2007 | Lance Mackey | 9 days, 05:08:41 |
| 2008 | Lance Mackey | 9 days, 11:46:48 |
*Race record.
