The 1925 Nome Serum Run: Dogs, Mushers and a Race to Save Lives

In winter 1925 the town of Nome in Alaska had a diphtheria outbreak. The local doctor, Curtis Welch, ran out of good antitoxin and feared an epidemic. He sent urgent messages for help. Planes could not fly because of weather, so people used dog sled teams to carry medicine. A relay began on January 27, 1925 from Nenana toward Nome.

Twenty mushers and about 150 dogs relayed the serum across frozen land. They covered about 674 miles in just over five days and reached Nome on February 2, 1925. The lead dog Togo and the dog Balto are remembered. The dogs and drivers saved many people and became famous.