Assault claims roil Iditarod sled dog race as 2 top mushers are disqualified, then 1 reinstated

Claims of violence against women are roiling the world’s most famous sled dog race — Alaska’s Iditarod — with officials disqualifying two top mushers this week and then quickly reinstating one of them on Friday, days before the start. The upheaval began last week, when the Iditarod Trail Committee, the race’s governing body, sent an email to all competitors saying it had been informed of several accusations concerning violence against and abuse of women within the mushing community. “The ITC Board cannot tolerate such conduct by anyone affiliated with the Iditarod,” the email said.