The Iditarod Allows GPS Technology to Race

The Iditarod Allows GPS Technology to Race

This year the Iditarod came to a close with a new winner, a new record set and a new rule. For those unfamiliar with the Iditarod, imagine a person on a sled pulled by a team of dogs over some of the most extreme and gorgeous wilderness terrain known to man. For around 1,150 miles the dog sled team crosses frozen rivers, rough mountain ranges, desolate tundra and dense forests. As if that weren't enough, factor in subzero temperatures, winds that generate zero visibility and long hours of darkness and you have a race called the Iditarod that could only take place in Alaska.

You're wondering, what does this have to do with GPS devices? Well, this year - for the first time in Iditarod history, the mushers were permitted to use personal navigational devices (PND) - GPS units. Race participants who are in favor of making the use of personal GPS devices an option, are quick to point out the significance of maintaining a steady pace. They explain that if the speed is inconsistent or too fast, the rate of injury to the dogs is increased substantially. Additionally, it is easy to misjudge your sled speed without the benefit of a GPS. Proponents for the use of GPS tracking devices, such as Garmin, like to call attention to John Baker's experience. In 2010, Baker was considered a contender for the title. Regrettably, thinking himself to be lost, he miscalculated his position and lost hours trying to get back on the trail. Those lost hours ended up costing Baker a chance at the title. If he had been able to use a GPS device, he would have quickly discovered that he was in fact on the correct path the whole time.

However, in spite of the benefits of GPS technology, there are the purists who hold fast to their position against allowing the use of handheld devices. Since the first Iditarod race in 1973, the so called "Last Great Race on Earth" has been considered the ultimate match pitting man and animal against nature and the Alaskan wilderness. Finishing the race with only trail markers, dogs, a sense of direction and raw instincts is what makes the experience riveting. Four-time Iditarod champion, Lance Mackey, sides with the purists and said recently, "I think it's kind of funny that all of a sudden they need a GPS to figure out how fast they're going and what their dogs are capable of doing. What have they been doing this whole time?" Good question.

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