The American journal of emergency medicine
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Alaska's 1049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is the world's longest sled dog race and the flagship event in the sport of sled dog racing. Race conditions are typically harsh. Physicians are not officially enlisted to care for human competitors. Instead, medical needs are met through an informal system of volunteers, local health care providers, and a fleet of bush planes. The goals of this study were to identify the types of human injury and illness experienced and the methods by which these conditions are treated. ⋯ Most injuries and illnesses sustained by mushers in the Iditarod are minor and self-treatable. Life-threatening conditions are rare, and the need for an organized medical care system seems low.