Sport of racing sleds pulled by dogs over snow-covered cross-country courses.
It developed from a traditional Eskimo method of transportation. Modern sleds are usually of wood (ash) construction, with leather lashings and steel-or aluminum-covered runners. Sled dogs are usually Eskimo dogs , Siberian huskies , Samoyeds , or Alaskan malamutes ; teams typically consist of 410 dogs. The course is usually 1230 mi (1948 km) long, though some, including the Iditarod , are considerably longer.