BioHistory Moment: Iditarod Trail used to transport diphtheria serum to Nome.

In 1925, a life-or-death race to save the children of Nome from a diphtheria epidemic made an international hero of one sled dog, and led to the creation of Alaska's Iditarod sled dog race. A diphtheria epidemic threatened remotely located Nome, and air transportation was unavailable to transport serum from Anchorage nearly a thousand miles away.

The solution: A relay of dog teams transported serum on the Iditarod Trail from Nenana to Nome, and every village enroute provided its best team and driver for the next leg continually moving the serum toward Nome. Gunnar Kaasen, a Norwegian musher, drove the final two legs into Nome behind his lead dog Balto through a blizzard with 80 mph winds to deliver 300,000 units of diphtheria antitoxin to Dr. Curtis Welch, the only doctor in Nome.

The serum arrived in time, prevented the epidemic and saved hundreds of lives. The 20 mushers had covered nearly 700 miles in slightly more than 127 hours in temperatures of minus40° Fahrenheit below zero and strong winds. The serum run received worldwide press coverage and the mushers received special gold medals and other recognition. In 1926, a statue of Balto, the heroic lead dog, was erected in New York's Central Park.

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