Finnmarksløpet

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A brief history of Finnmarksløpet

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Dato: 02.03.2003 22:44

The history of organized long distance sled dog racing goes back to Nome Alaska in the beginning of the last century.

The Norwegian sled dog history goes even further back. A long row of Norwegian polar heroes, first among them men as Fritjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, creates one link in our relation to sled dog racing.

Another link comes from the Norwegians and their way of living, as trappers and adventurers, anyplace in the world where it¹s cold enough to benefit as a sled dog team.

A third link is furthermore created by Norwegian emigrants in America, of which not so few ended up in the northern part of the continent. ­ Even among the first men who created the first All Alaska Sweepstake you find Norwegians.

Fact is that the first hero in long distance sled dog racing in America was a Norwegian, a man from this very northern part of Norway who´s name was Leonard Seppala.

Thus, sled dog racing in Norway is not a new sport. The Norwegian Sled Dog Racing Association (member of the Norwegian Olympic committee) celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Therefore, when the Iditarod in Alaska race was established, it was a great inspiration to Norwegian long distance sport. They first participated there in the seventees ­ and in 1981, Alta Trekkhundklubb (Sled dog association) arranged the first Finnmarksløpet.

As the Norwegian mushers got more experienced, the distance in Finnamarksløpet has developed from being 226 km in 1981 to be 1000 km in 1993,

It is devided in two classes: An ³open² one which allows 14 dogs in each team, and a limited one which allows 8 dogs in each team, and which distance is only 500 km.

The trail is in the northernmost part of Norway in the Finnmark County, mainly on a wide expanse 3 ­ 500 m a.s.l. Further description on the terrain can be found on our website (Finnmarkslopet.no). The terrain has mainly barren land with some birch wood along the rivers, and some pine wood in the bigger and lower river valleys.

The northernmost part of the trail, which leads toward the coast, may be windy, and one must be prepared to meet a biting snowstorm at any time, something that local mushers have experienced pretty often through the years. The following is a true description of a tough situation that once ocurred in Finnmarksløpet:

-The only thing that moved in Finnmark during the storm were the mushers of Finnmarksløpet. All the roads were blocked and the planes had to be in the hangars. It has always been a part of the competence for a long distance sled dog runner to take care of himself and his dogs during heavy weather.

At the northern part of Finnmarksløpet, the temperature seldom reaches lower than 20 to 25 below zero, as in the inner and southern part of the trail, strong winds are scarcer and the temeperature reaches below 40 degrees Celsius. Another skill to handle this harsh weather is the mushers´ capability to give demands. It must be informed, though, that through the 21 years the race has been held in all imaginable sort of weather, no musher has died or been seriously injured. The number of participants on the starting line of Finnmarksløpet is approximatly 1000 so these are pretty good results. Although the organizers have had to seek for a musher or two sometimes, it has only once reached to such a critical situation that the police and other ³outside² rescue crew had to give a helping hand.

The participating dogs are also taken good care of at Finnmarksløpet. Veterinarians check their condition before they start. Those dogs, which are considered not to be in good condition for some reason are being disqualified. In addition, there are some 12 checkpoints along the trail, where veterinarians can check dogs and take them out of the team if necessary.

The dogs in Finnmarksløpet are of the same breed as are used in the race Iditarod in Alaska, called Alaskian Huskies. Numerous exchanges of dogs between Norway and Alaska during the last 20 years add to the breeding which are made in a lot of kennels in Scandinavia. The history of organized long distance sled dog racing goes back to Nome Alaska in the beginning of the last century.

The Norwegian sled dog history goes even further back. A long row of Norwegian polar heroes, first among them men as Fritjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, creates one link in our relation to sled dog racing.

Another link comes from the Norwegians and their way of living, as trappers and adventurers, anyplace in the world where it¹s cold enough to benefit as a sled dog team.

A third link is furthermore created by Norwegian emigrants in America, of which not so few ended up in the northern part of the continent. ­ Even among the first men who created the first All Alaska Sweepstake you find Norwegians.

Fact is that the first hero in long distance sled dog racing in America was a Norwegian, a man from this very northern part of Norway who´s name was Leonard Seppala.

Thus, sled dog racing in Norway is not a new sport. The Norwegian Sled Dog Racing Association (member of the Norwegian Olympic committee) celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Therefore, when the Iditarod in Alaska race was established, it was a great inspiration to Norwegian long distance sport. They first participated there in the seventees ­ and in 1981, Alta Trekkhundklubb (Sled dog association) arranged the first Finnmarksløpet.

As the Norwegian mushers got more experienced, the distance in Finnamarksløpet has developed from being 226 km in 1981 to be 1000 km in 1993,

It is devided in two classes: An ³open² one which allows 14 dogs in each team, and a limited one which allows 8 dogs in each team, and which distance is only 500 km.

The trail is in the northernmost part of Norway in the Finnmark County, mainly on a wide expanse 3 ­ 500 m a.s.l. Further description on the terrain can be found on our website (Finnmarkslopet.no). The terrain has mainly barren land with some birch wood along the rivers, and some pine wood in the bigger and lower river valleys.

The northernmost part of the trail, which leads toward the coast, may be windy, and one must be prepared to meet a biting snowstorm at any time, something that local mushers have experienced pretty often through the years. The following is a true description of a tough situation that once ocurred in Finnmarksløpet:

-The only thing that moved in Finnmark during the storm were the mushers of Finnmarksløpet. All the roads were blocked and the planes had to be in the hangars. It has always been a part of the competence for a long distance sled dog runner to take care of himself and his dogs during heavy weather.

At the northern part of Finnmarksløpet, the temperature seldom reaches lower than 20 to 25 below zero, as in the inner and southern part of the trail, strong winds are scarcer and the temeperature reaches below 40 degrees Celsius. Another skill to handle this harsh weather is the mushers´ capability to give demands. It must be informed, though, that through the 21 years the race has been held in all imaginable sort of weather, no musher has died or been seriously injured. The number of participants on the starting line of Finnmarksløpet is approximatly 1000 so these are pretty good results. Although the organizers have had to seek for a musher or two sometimes, it has only once reached to such a critical situation that the police and other ³outside² rescue crew had to give a helping hand.

The participating dogs are also taken good care of at Finnmarksløpet. Veterinarians check their condition before they start. Those dogs, which are considered not to be in good condition for some reason are being disqualified. In addition, there are some 12 checkpoints along the trail, where veterinarians can check dogs and take them out of the team if necessary.

The dogs in Finnmarksløpet are of the same breed as are used in the race Iditarod in Alaska, called Alaskian Huskies. Numerous exchanges of dogs between Norway and Alaska during the last 20 years add to the breeding which are made in a lot of kennels in Scandinavia.

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