Iditarod Trail named after the now-abandoned town of Iditarod, commemorates the last great gold rush in America to the Iditarod gold fields and the critical role that dogs played in the settlement and development of Alaska. It is a common myth that the race commemorates the dogsled relay known as the 1925 "Serum Run" from Nenana to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was first established by Joe Redington, Sr. in the early 1973 to encourage the designation of the Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail, bring the dying tradition of dog sledding back to the villages of Alaska, and
Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race The Can-Am Crown is an international sled dog race held annually in Fort Kent, Maine, and usually takes place the first Saturday in March (which is also the day the Iditarod Trail begins). The organization was founded on October 16, 1992 as a non-profit corporation for the purpose of establishing a long-distance sled dog race. The first Can-Am Crown 250-mile race began on Tuesday, February 16, 1993. Nine teams from Maine, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick competed in that race. In 1994 sixteen teams competed in the 250-mile race and eleven in the newly