In the winter of 1925, on the frozen North-west shore of Alaska's Norton Sound, the inhabitants of Nome were smitten by a diphtheria epidemic. Because the closest community was over 1200 miles away in the gold rush town of Iditarod, the problem of obtaining life saving serum was almost insurmountable. The formidable terrain and high arctic winds allowed only one possibility - sending the serum by a relay of dog sled teams.
To commemorate those heroic dogs and their "mushers" who saved the people of Nome, the Iditarod Sled Race is held annually, with checkpoints located along the route. Now, there are contenders from all over North America.
The Arthropod Iditarod sled race is also held annually over quite a different route. It commemorates the transportation of the antidote Atropine from the colony of Anchorius, to rescue the one hundred million inhabitants per cubic metre under the town of Nomenclature. Sled teams are comprised principally of Winter Snow Fleas, who exhibit the erratic and unpredictable movements over the snow typical of their breed. Constantly harassed by roving bands of predaceous mites and trampled by Moose, checkpoints are rarely found, and the race takes many molts to complete.

Winter Stone Fly, Taeniopteryx nivalis, Nemouridae, Plecoptera.
Winter Snow Fly. Chionea alexandriana, Tipulidae, Diptera.
Springtail, Isotoma viridis, Isotomidae, Collembola.
Leiodid Beetle, Agyrtes longulus, Argyrtidae, Coleoptera.
Winter Tick, Dermacentor albipictus, Ixodidae, Acari.
Dog Flea, Ctenocephalides canus, Ctenocephalidae, Siphonaptera.
Springtail, Tomocerus flavescens, Tomoceridae, Collembola.
Springtail, Hypogastrura nivicola, Poduridae, Collembola.
Predatory Mite, Pergamasus crassipes, Parasitidae, Acari.
Snow Scorpionfly, Boreus nivoriundus, Boreidae, Mecoptera.