Iditarod, y DIHT uh rod, is the world's most famous sled dog race. The annual race starts on the first Saturday of March in Anchorage, Alaska, and ends in Nome, Alaska. It crosses the Alaska and Kuskokwim mountain ranges, heading northwest across the state and then north along the Bering Sea coast to Nome. The race follows a northern route in even years and a southern route in odd-numbered years.