The race starts and finish in Caswell, Alaska and makes its way on a technically challenging trail through a varied terrain in the Caswell - Willow - Knik region. Racers must be prepared for any possible conditions: mountains, river, swamp, forest, glare ice, deep snow, overflow, water crossings, wind-drifted trails...the race is on! The trail will be well marked, but not necessarily "broken."

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No outside support of the Racer and team of dogs is allowed - No two-way communication is allowed.

There will be 3 checkpoints along the trail, all on the road system. The checkpoints, start and finish will be 40-80 miles apart. The total length of the race will be approximately 250 miles or more, though maximum 300 miles. The final routing of the trail depends on the conditions of the 2020-2021 winter season, and will be announced on the day of the race start at the mandatory Racer Pre-race meeting.

Up to 25 teams and a minimum of 21 teams will be at the start-line with no more than 8 dogs on the gangline. 6 healthy dogs must be on the gangline crossing the finish, and all 8 at a finish-line health check to complete the race.  At the start, teams will go out 2 minutes apart. The time adjustments for this will take place in the first checkpoint. Every team must stop for a 15 min. health-check at every checkpoint entry; Besides that there is no mandatory stopping in the three checkpoints of the race, so teams rest anywhere it fits them best.

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It must be safe to assume sled dog racing goes back as long as humans having sled dogs--some +7000 years.

In Alaska racing for "big money" came with the Gold Rush; mushers so sure they had the best team they were willing to bet their gold. That's the story of the famous Sweepstakes in Nome Alaska in the early 1900.

SWEEPS continues this tradition. The purse is ~ 75% of the total dollars paid in entries.

The top five teams crossing the finish-line will receive:

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1.   $40000 max. - $33000 min.

2.   $20000 max. - $16000 min.

3.   $7500 max. - $6000 min.

4.   $5000 max. - $4000 min.

5.   $4000 max. - $3500 min.

We close for sign-up to the 2021 Sweeps race at noon December 1st 2020. There is no limit to the number of teams a kennel can enter in the race, but all teams must have a designated Racer named upon registration. 25 teams is the maximum number of teams in the race -- once the race is full we start a waiting list should any registered Racers decide to withdraw. The registration fee of $4000 is refundable in full until noon December 1, 2020. After this time the registration fee is non-refundable. Racers can replace their person with another Racer until 12 hours before race start. In the unlikely event the race is cancelled, the registration fee will be refunded in full.