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

In the winter of 1925, the icebound port of Nome faced the rapid spread of diphtheria after the local supply of antitoxin expired. Dr. Curtis Welch, the town's sole physician, warned that an epidemic was imminent and quarantine measures were imposed while officials sought a replacement supply. Because ships could not reach Nome and early aircraft were judged unsafe for the route and weather, the antitoxin was sent by rail to Nenana; from there a relay of dog sled teams was organized on January 27, 1925 to carry the serum toward Nome across frozen rivers and remote villages.

Twenty mushers and roughly 150 sled dogs raced through blizzards, whiteouts and temperatures that fell far below zero, covering about 674 miles in just over five days; had the relay been slower the serum might have spoiled, since early packaging and swift handoffs were critical. Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo ran the longest and most hazardous stretches, including a dangerous crossing of the Norton Sound, while Gunnar Kaasen and his team, with Balto as lead, completed the final leg into Nome on February 2, 1925. The glass vials were kept warm and none shattered during the journey, and the arrival brought the outbreak under control.

Although press coverage in the United States celebrated Balto and other figures, Alaska Native mushers carried much of the distance and their contributions have been recognized more fully in later histories. The event stimulated interest in Alaskan aviation and mail service and it remains remembered through the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and monuments such as the Balto statue in New York's Central Park. The official record listed five deaths and 29 illnesses, though historians note those counts likely understate the full impact on indigenous communities.