A group of dogs has tested positive for the painkiller Tramadol after the gruelling Iditarod race in Alaska. The unnamed drug cheat has been given the all-clear to race again next year.
Dogs competing in the 2015 Iditarod race, in which none tested positive for drugsImage: picture alliance/AP/Alaska Dispatch News/L. Holmes
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Several dogs in the highly competitive Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in the US state of Alaska tested positive for the drug Tramadol, race officials announced this week.
It was the first drug scandal to hit the annual 1,000-mile (1600-kilometer) race since it began in 1973. But race organizers refused to name the dogs or the human racer implicated in the scandal.
It first announced the doping in an October 9 press release detailing a change to its drug testing policy in light of a positive test at the March 2017 event. Officials did not provide any more details of the doping, citing a clause in the previous rule that required officials to prove intent to dope.
It was not until 10 days later that officials released any specifics of the doping case, but even then they was scant on details, saying the dogs were drugged with Tramadol and came from a single musher or sled driver.
"Based on the test results, it was estimated that the drug could have been administered somewhere between 15 hours prior to, and up until the team was tested in Nome," the statement said, referring to the ending point of the race.
"Again, in consultation with legal counsel, the ITC (Iditarod Trail Committee) Board of Directors determined that the ITC would likely not be able to prove intent."
Mushers compete in Alaska's Iditarod race
The Iditarod dog-sled race began on Sunday in the most northern US state of Alaska, where 85 mushers and hundreds of dogs compete to reach Alaska's western coast. The mushers must brave the elements to win.
Image: Reuters/N. Wilder
The 'Mushing Mortician' starts the race
Scott Janssen, who is known as the "Mushing Mortician," was the first to leave from the starting point in Willow, Alaska to compete in the Iditarod dog sled race, which is a 1,600 km (1,000-mile) journey through Alaska's rough terrain. He left with 16 dogs and amid cheers from the crowd. Janssen is competing in his sixth Iditarod race.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMA Press
Mushers set off from Willow, Alaska
Lisbet Norris, who grew up in Willow, Alaska, and her 16-dog team can be seen leaving the starting chute. The race has attracted competitors from around the world, all vying to become the first to cross the finish line.
Image: Reuters/N. Wilder
The cold doesn't stop crowds from cheering
Crowds gathered along Chester Creek near the start of the race to cheer on their favorite musher and sled dog team. An aerial view of the Alaska terrain shows just what the mushers must brave in order to win the race.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMA Press
Cold, but not cold enough?
An Alaska freight train arrived on Saturday to deliver snow from a nearby town to help the Iditarod stage a ceremonial start. Officials of the race said that warm weather had melted the little snow still on the trail this year.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMA Press
Protection from the cold
However, the weather in Alaska is still cold. To help the dogs stay warm in the frigid temperatures, sled dogs often wear equipment such as booties for their paws and goggles for their eyes. The added protection helps the dogs compete against the elements.
Image: Reuters/N. Wilder
Preparation and protection is everything
In addition to keeping the dogs warm, mushers are also responsible for keeping their sled dogs safe. Lars Monsen, a musher from Norway, is seen untangling his team of 16 dogs before the start of the race. Many teams lose at least a couple of dogs to wear and injury while out on the trail.
Image: Reuters/N. Wilder
The Iditarod race attracts many first-timers
The grueling Iditarod race attracts many competitors, like rookie Larry Daugherty. The American musher, who comes from the US state of Utah, is among many first-time competitors willing to brave the unforgiving wilderness of Alaska.
Image: Reuters/N. Wilder
Mushers aim for Nome, Alaska
Rookie Cody Strathe was also among those mushers who set off from the small Alaska town. His team and others are expected to brave two mountain ranges, the bitter cold and fierce winds along the Bering Sea coast before finishing at Nome, Alaska. The race is expected to take at least nine days.
Image: Reuters/N. Wilder
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It updated the doping rules to remove the clause requiring intent to be proved.
Tramadol is a synthetic opioid normally used to treat moderately severe pain in humans. It can also be used to treat pain in dogs. It is listed as a Schedule IV drug in the US, meaning it is a prescription-only medicine.
A spokesman for the race told the Associated Press the musher involved in the doping would be allowed to compete in next year's race without facing any disciplinary action.
Tramadol is a prescription-only drug in the US and is used to treat acute and chronic painImage: picture alliance/Chicago Tribune/Jose M. Osorio
Iditarod board member and musher Aaron Burmeister told AP he did know the musher's identity, but that only the first 20 teams to finish are tested. Burmeister, who sat out the previous two races, said keeping the musher anonymous meant every competitor was tarnished.
"It's not a good situation. I'm hoping that we can turn a positive light on it and the musher steps forward."
"I just hope that people look at the big picture and realize that mushers out there are not doping their dogs. This is an isolated incident."
Wade Marrs, the musher representative on the Iditarod Board of Directors, told the Alaska Dispatch News that he did not believe the unnamed musher gave the drug to their own dogs.
"The test results show this was most likely given between Safety and Nome, and at that point it would be absolutely ridiculous to think this drug would do any good for the musher," he said.
