On this day in 1985, Libby Riddles became the first woman to win Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Photo: Screengrab from the Libby Riddles’ Iditarod Victory – Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Moment produced by KTUU
On this day in 1985, Libby Riddles made history as the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the legendary 1,100-mile endurance challenge across Alaska’s rugged wilderness. Dubbed “the last great race on Earth,” the competition pushes mushers and their sled dog teams through extreme conditions, from Anchorage in the south to Nome on the western Bering Sea.
Riddles and her thirteen-dog team raced through debilitating blizzards, crossing the finish line in 18 days, 20 minutes, and 17 seconds. Her groundbreaking victory was honored in 2007 as a “Hall of Fame Moment” in the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.
Read more about women’s achievements throughout history here
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