Portland Urban Iditarod 2007

The 6th Annual Portland Urban Iditarod was run Saturday, March 3rd, 2007.

You can register your team by going to http://www.keepportlandweird.org/urbaniditarod/page7.html


The Portland Urban Iditarod is held on the same date the "real" Alaskan Iditarod each year, the first Saturday of March. In the Alaskan Iditarod, more than sixty dog sled teams race across the frozen tundra from Anchorage to Nome. In the Portland Urban version, teams of humans ("dogs") lead by a musher pull shopping carts ("sleds") through a course over four miles through part of Portland, Oregon.

The Portland Urban Iditarod began in March 2000 after Lead Dog immigrated to Portland from San Francisco. Upon arriving to Portland he was in awe of the city's natural urban tundra and knew that this was the place to hold an Urban Iditarod. The first Portland Urban Iditarod drew a rugged five teams. The day was cool and clear, and KATU was out to document the maiden event. In 2002, the event dwindled to only three teams, and Lead Dog felt this could be the end of this event. Struck in sadness, Lead Dog could not leave the dark depths of his soul to hold a 2003 Portland Urban Iditarod. Alas, with a renewed sense of adventure, Lead Dog created a new course, and the Portland Urban Iditarod was reborn in 2004 with seven teams. In 2005 Meet in Portlandlearned about the urban test of endurance and will and brought along ten teams to join the event, making it the largest Urban Iditarod to date with 32 teams. The 2006 Iditarodd proved to outdo the 2005 event with more than 60 teams and adding an Après Ski Party at the Grand Cafe. The 2007 event is expected to draw more than 80 teams; the course has been modified to both take in the aesthetics of Portland as well as lead competitors through some of Portland's most difficult urban terrain. Rest stops have been modified to accommodate the large capacities, and the course ergonomically slides through the city with ease.

Shout out to:
MeetInPortland (http://meetinportland.org)
Keep Portland Weird (http://keepportlandweird.org)
Arctic Monkeys (http://arcticmonkeys.com)
Stephen Colbert (http://colbertnation.com)
City of Portland, OR (http://www.portlandonline.com)

Category:

Entertainment

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[3reschly22]

POWER TO THE MiPL!!! (pronounced "meeepul")

Rock On!

[oliviaparnassusbrown]

Loved it! Great job!!! However, I am a little motion sick now.

[julie1300]

& ur loved right back....I'm lookin down from PILLHILL =)

[elicasharcherave]

I'm sitting in my E. Burnside apt right now (Mar. 1st) watching you crazy people crossing the bridge. I love this town.

[brainclots]

Gotta love our hippie stronghold.

[legogirl00]

That was AWESOME!!!!

[webstuff2000]

Fan-freakin-tastic!! What a great time :-) Will be there for 2008 too. Thanks for making this video!

[Penemuetwo]

Haha! This is AMAZING!! Oh, I gotta go watch it again.... :)

[ferdibull]

Super duper wicked awesome video!! Thanks!

[TheMWFL]

I'm so excited for this years Iditarod!