Anchorage Daily News

Fur Rondy's inaugural "Running with the Reindeer" was a smash success. It was an inspired and zany Alaska affair, a brilliant move that added new life to the city's decades-old festival. A thousand people were crazy enough to pay money for the right to be chased by reindeer, and a couple thousand more took advantage of a brilliantly sunny afternoon to cheer them on.

Besides raising money for charity, the run supplied a creative outlet for the restless energy that boils among Alaskans as cabin-fever season approaches. (Among the many costumes runners wore, there was a gang of guys dressed as beer bottles -- apparently ready for an event called "The Running of the Rainiers.") Reindeer-themed outfits vastly outnumbered the real animals. Despite the abundance of antlers, artificial and real, no gorings were reported.

Interviewed afterward, one reindeer said, "Sorry, PETA, I didn't feel exploited or abused at all. It was a blast for us, too." (Actually, we made that part up.)

Rondy has long had quirky Alaska events, like snowshoe softball and outhouse races. Running with the Reindeer was an instant classic and has earned a lasting place on the Rondy schedule.

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