Anchorage Daily News Iditarod Hall of Fame

** Enter the Hall of Fame **

Since its obscure and somewhat shaky beginning in 1973, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has become an Alaska institution. People across the nation and around the world now follow the race through newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet. In the minds of many, the state andthe race are synonymous.

In 1997, on the 25th anniversary of the Iditarod,, we decided to mark that milestone by establishing the Anchorage Daily News Iditarod Hall of Fame. Our goal was to honor the accomplishments of those whose dedication has made the race legendary.

Nominations to the Hall of Fame have come from readers and a Daily News committee of people with extensive knowledge of the race. Nominations are then debated and final selections made by a committee of journalists who have covered the race for many years.

Some selections are obvious to even the most casual fan. Others might surprise you. Each year, we consider new nominees, although new members are not inducted unless someone's contribution to the race rises to Hall of Fame status.

The Iditarod has never been all about winning, but rather about spirit -- of the dogs, the volunteers, the competitors -- truly the spirit of Alaska. It is in that spirit that we present the Hall of Fame.

Patrick Dougherty, Editor

Nominators were: Tom Busch, news director at Nome radio station KNOM; Howard Farley of Nome, who ran in the first Iditarod and has been a volunteer ever since; Daily News Sports Editor Lew Freedman, author of several Iditarod books; Daily News copy editor Frank Gerjevic, who covered several early Iditarods; Tim Jones of Valdez, author of ''The Last Great Race'' and co-author of "Race Across Alaska"; ''Dateline NBC'' correspondent John Larson, who covered the race from 1977 to 1984; Brian O'Donoghue, a Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reporter who finished last in the 1991 Iditarod and wrote a book called ''My Lead Dog Was a Lesbian''; and KTUU-Channel 2 News Director John Tracy.

The job of selecting 10 first-year inductees fell to a committee of journalists: Daily News Executive Sports Editor Beth Bragg, KTUU-Channel 2 Sports Director John Carpenter; Associated Press reporter Maureen Clark; photographer Fran Durner, Outdoors Editor Craig Medred and reporter Doug O'Harra, all of the Daily News; and KTUU-Channel 2 Cameraman Eric Soule.

The Anchorage Daily News Iditarod Hall of Fame profiles were edited by Mike Doogan.

** Enter the Hall of Fame **