Lance King/Getty Images toggle caption Lance King/Getty Images Sled dogs of Thomas Waerner's team run in Willow, Alaska, last year, when he placed first. Lance King/Getty Images The Iditarod kicks off Sunday and, like most events in a pandemic, the 2021 sled dog race will be a little different. Even with an abbreviated course this year, it's a brutal test of tenacity and stamina, typically traversing about 1,000 miles of a remote and rugged landscape during an unforgiving Alaskan winter. Founded in 1973 by two preservationists lamenting the disappearance of sled dog culture, the Iditarod calls itself "The Last Great Race."