The Iditarod race format and rules

• Patrol leaders must have been to the Assay Office to have their gold weighed, turned in, and received their patrol award.  At this time they will also receive their Iditarod Golden Race ticket, which is their entry into the race.
• A sled will have a minimum of 4 scouts, in a traditional “dog-sledding” configuration.
  • One scout riding in the sled – the Rider.
  • One scout behind the sled, pushing, giving directions, “steering” – the Driver.
  • The rest up front pulling the sled – the Dog Team.
  • If you don’t have enough scouts (at least 4), you can borrow from other patrols if they are willing.
  • There is no maximum number to adhere to so a sled team can have as many patrol members as they want.  However, the entire patrol must agree to the configuration AND should the patrol win, the ENTIRE patrol will be recognized and benefit from any awards given.
  • Strategy comes into play with the selection and placement of the above patrol members.  Not only in the running of the race, but in the completion of the challenge below.  “What’s that you say?!”
• All scouts must maintain contact with the sled at all times.
  • Riding and pushing are easy to maintain contact with the sled.
  • The rest should have some ropes to pull on that they can hold on to.
• If a scout should lose contact (drop a rope, fall out of sled, etc.), the sled must stop or slow down to allow them to regain their contact to the sled before continuing.
• The race this year is a down and back race, in a fairly straight line both ways.  Therefore the starting line will also be the finish line.
• At the mid-point of the race, the turnaround point, there will be a patrol challenge that the patrol must successfully complete before they are allowed to continue.
  • Sleds must stop at the designated stopping area, a few yards short of the challenge area.
  • The driver and rider will then proceed to the challenge area to take on the challenge.
  • The rest of the scouts on the sled can turn the sled around and get ready for the return trip to the finish line.
  • The challenge will be a scout skills knowledge question, followed by “something else”.  You can bring a Scout Handbook with you for reference if you like.
    • If you can’t figure out the challenge between the two of you, you can opt to exchange one of you with another teammate on the sled if you think they can complete the challenge.  Be careful here.  Doing this means that you will now also EXCHANGE positions and roles on the sled for the return trip!  Driver and/or rider have now changed.
  • After successfully completing the challenge, you will be given a “completion ribbon” that you must tie onto your sled.  Driver and rider get back in the sled, tie the ribbon onto it, and mush their way back to the finish line with the rest of the patrol.
• A sled does not completely finish the race until ALL of the patrol members and sled, cross the finish line, WITH the completion ribbon (don’t lose it!), NOT the first point of contact to cross the line.