Sled Dogs

The Iditarod is the famed sled race held annually in Alaska. Mushers and their teams of sixteen sled dogs brave the sub-zero temperatures to trek over a thousand miles from Willow to Nome. The conditions are brutal and the competition is fierce.

The Idiotarod, however, has no dogs and no sleds. Racers, who are consistently described as “drunken hipsters,” pull a shopping cart through the streets of New York City. Following text-messaged clues to find checkpoints, the racers will sabotage other teams and bribe judges in order to finish first.

To prepare for the Idiotarod, racers choose a creative team name and outfit their cart and clothing in a matching theme. Racers of the past have dressed up as everything from soldiers to lawn gnomes. The shopping carts can be customized in any way, including being taken apart, but all original pieces must be kept with the team at all times. The carts can’t be motorized and they can’t be towed or carried by any vehicle.

Four team members must remain in the “sled dog” position while one acts as the musher behind the cart. Each position has to be filled at all times, but racers can switch whenever they choose. Each team is allowed to have people helping who don’t run with the cart, but the five racers must remain the same.

The Idiotarod doesn’t have any planned trails like the Iditarod. Racers can choose the path they wish to take to the finish line, but they must stop at the various checkpoints along the way. All five racers have to be connected to or touching the cart at all times during the race, except for when they’re stationed at checkpoints.

In addition to the usual first, second and third place prizes, the Idiotarod honors participants with awards like “Best Job Keeping Character,” “Best Sabotage” and the coveted “Best in Show.”

Since the original 2004 race in San Francisco, Idiotarod races have been held in several major cities, including Seattle and Chicago. The New York City race has run since 2006 and continues to gain popularity every year, quickly becoming a tradition for all the “idiots” who participate.