History of the Iditarod

The official finish line is more commonly known as the "burled arch", in Nome. The original burled arch lasted from 1975, until it was destroyed by dry rot and years of inclement weather in 2001. The new arch is a spruce log with two distinct burls, similar but not identical to the old arch. While the old arch spelled out "End of the Iditarod Dog Race", the new arch has an additional word: "End of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race".

The Red Lantern Award is the award presented to the last place musher every year.  When the Iditarod starts in Anchorage, a lantern known as the Widow's Lamp  is lighted at the finish line in Nome.  The lantern burns day and night until the last musher finishes the race.  Once the last musher finishes, it is that mushers job to extinguish the light until it is lit at the start of the next day.  The Widow's Lamp is sort of the "Olympic Torch" of the Iditarod.  It serves as a "guiding light" to the teams on the trail as well as a signal to the people in Nome that there are teams on the trail.  
     The Red Lantern Award is now considered a symbol of the perseverance and dedication required to finish the Iditarod.  The last place team usually takes about 14 or 15 days to complete the Iditarod.

Every year a handful of mushers drop out of (scratch) the race.  The reasons that a musher may scratch are varied, and tend to often be based in the musher being very tired or not feeling well.  These feelings can make things seem worse than they really are, and lead to a musher deciding that he or she cannot finish.  However, sometimes scratching is the right thing to do, especially if a musher is sensing that it would be in the best interests of his or her dogs.  Sometimes mushers get hurt, and despite courageous efforts to continue with injuries, many mushers have decided (or had the race officials decide for them) that scratching is the best option.

Sources:
"Frequently Asked Questions." Ultimate Iditarod. 2006. 29 Jan. 2008 <http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/faq.htm>.