Hope Race Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and Yukon Quest in the same year. Hope Race The Hope Race or Hope Sled Dog Race is a defunct international sled dog race between Nome, Alaska and Anadyr, Russia, across the Bering Strait. The race was established in 1991, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, and according to information on the race's (now inactive) Web site, was run as recently as 2004. Racers covered 1,200 miles, but did not actually race across the Bering Strait. Teams instead were shipped across the strait on boats and raced on land. In 1995, Alaska musher
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race of the committee, had the original idea to race a portion of the Iditarod Trail. Joe Redington Sr. (named the "Father of the Iditarod" by one of the local newspapers), and his wife Vi were Page's first true support and, with volunteer support they cleared up a portion of the trail. The first race, known as the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race in honor of Leonhard Seppala, was held in 1967. The purse of US$25,000 attracted a field of 58 racers, and the winner was Isaac Okleasik. The next race, in 1968, was canceled for lack of snow, and 1969's