Fairbanks

(Fairbanks, AK) --

Fairbanks, Alaska (AK) - The 2013 Iron Dog, presented by the Alaska National Guard, is scheduled to start on February 17, 2013 in Big Lake, Alaska. The race, celebrating its 30^th anniversary, will take racers from Anchorage to Fairbanks via Nome across some of Alaska's most remote and rugged terrain with temperatures frequently dipping to -20°F. This seven-day, world-class event is made up of a record 40 two-person teams traveling through remote villages including Ruby, Galena, Tanana and Kaltag. Only a fraction of those teams will make it through all 21 checkpoints to cross the finish line. The first place team is expected to arrive on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks at approximately 1pm on Saturday, February 23.

Covering over 2,000 miles and touching more Alaskan communities than any other single event statewide, the Iron Dog is also a vehicle for other, more humanitarian objectives. The Iron Dog distributes snowmobile and cold weather safety tips through a variety of means, and also puts great focus on educational and philanthropic efforts, such as the Urban Rural Student Exchange program that began in 2011. This student exchange program allows students from both urban and rural communities to come together and collaborate on a single project while fully immersing themselves into another culture. This year, students from Galena will be traveling to Anchorage to work with local students on race logistics for the race start. Anchorage students will then travel to Galena for a similar experience in interior Alaska and both teams will meet in Fairbanks to assist with the race finish. Lastly, the 2013 Iron Dog Raffle will be donating up to 50% of the net proceeds to the Armed Services YMCA, a statewide Alaskan organization focused on providing support to service members and their families through educational, recreational, and social programs.