Hello, and welcome to the official website of Wattie’s Great Race. After a memorable run in March 2010 finishing in 45th place and with a full string of 16 dogs then returning in 2011 for another memorable run finishing mid table it seems that I've got the Iditarod bug good and proper! Now, more than ever, Wattie's Great Race needs YOUR support. I aim to participate in the Iditarod again in 2012 and hope to challenge for a top twenty spot something that has never been done by any Scottish musher. In doing so I'll bring back a depth of knowledge which I hope to share with schools and businesses alike.  HISTORY
OF THE RACEThe race has an interesting history and commemorates ‘the great serum run’, a mission of mercy undertaken in 1925 by 20 mushers and approx 150 sled dogs when they managed to successfully transport vital diphtheria antitoxin across 625 miles of the US state of Alaska to save lives in the small city of Nome and surrounding outlying communities. Although dog sledding, the traditional method of transport in sub-arctic communities began to lose popularity over the years, particularly with the introduction of snow mobiles in the 1960’s, mushing began to regain popularity from the 1970’s as a direct result of the Iditarod dog sled race and the involvement of key mushers such as the legendary Joe Redington. TODAYS IDITAROD  Often referred to as ‘The last great race
on earth’ today’s Iditarod is truly unlike any other competitive
event in the world. Mushers and their dog teams travel over 1150 miles of the roughest, most challenging and most beautiful terrain found anywhere
in the world.Dense forest, frozen rivers, mountains, unpredictable wildlife and even more unpredictable weather are just some of the perils faced on the trail. Combined with long hours of darkness and temperatures way below zero, this race is truly a ‘race extrordinaire’ only possible in Alaska. From Anchorage, in south central Alaska to Nome on the Bering Sea coast, each musher and their team of between 12 and 16 dogs must cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days. This is the challenge that Wattie McDonald will again face in 2012. 
Hello, my name is Wattie McDonald. I am a Scottish Siberian Husky musher, slightly past his prime and given to wearing a kilt whenever possible
who wants to cross 1,000 miles of the Alaskan wilderness with just a dog team and a sense of adventure. I may be a little mad, but I am definitely
unique and so is this challenge. I desperately need to raise funds and attract sponsorship to enable me to participate in Iditarod 2012 where I'll be working with a new team of dogs after teaming up with Wade Marrs. YOU CAN HELP by making a secure online donation today or by visiting how you can help These funds are needed to support my training programme at home and in Alaska, provide equipment prior to and during the race, transport my race team and equipment to Alaska and provide accommodation and basic essentials for the volunteer team during the race. Please take a look at my video at my YouTube video and then just click here to find out how you can help me and the dogs reach Nome. |
