Iditarod musher Karen Land to speak in Marshall Nov. 15

Karen Land and her team start a race in 2004. (Contributed photo) [Click to enlarge]

Imagine standing on a crowded downtown Anchorage street on runners attached to a sled, with 16 dogs barking and anxiously waiting to run a race that goes day and night for 14 days until they reach the finish line, in a race that is the same distance as a trip from Indianapolis, Ind., to Miami, Fla.

Karen Land, a 1,150-mile Iditarod trail sled dog racer, will give a presentation at the Marshall Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.

The Iditarod race goes across the treacherous Alaskan Range Mountains, down the bitterly cold Yukon River to the Bering Sea and to the gold rush town of Nome.

"I first heard of Karen Land through an e-mail she sent to Missouri libraries," said Library Director Amy Crump. "She announced that she would be in Missouri during the month of November and any interested parties should contact her."

Land actually grew up in Indianapolis, Ind., among suburban strip malls and popular sports. Her love for all animals steered her along an interesting trail to a sled dog kennel in Montana.

"I went to her Web site and was impressed with the inspiration of her story and the quality of her presentation," Crump said. "Then I contacted her and made arrangements for her to come to the Marshall Public Library."

In 1997, Land became almost consumed by the intrigue with sled dog racing by picking up a book about the famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

In 1999, Land moved to Maine, where she enrolled in a graduate writing program and as part of her studies she decided to write a documentary about a rookie dog musher preparing for a 250-mile race in northern Maine.

"I wanted to write about dogs and people who love dogs," Land said on her Web site, www.mymusher.com. "But it became much more than that. It became a labor of love; a calling. I fell in love with all of the dogs, the sport, the wilderness, and the lifestyle of a musher. I knew exactly what I wanted to do next."

Karen Land, dressed for dog-sled racing. (Contributed photo) [Click to enlarge]

On her pursuit to change her lifestyle to a frigid, yet achieving musher, she met Dr. Terry Adkins, veterinarian and musher at the Can Am Race. Adkins offered her an apprenticeship as a dog handler for his Montana kennel.

In 2001, Land finished her Iditarod qualifier in her second year of mushing and finished three races ranging from 250 miles to 450 miles. This accomplishment takes an average person about six years.

"I think that Karen's story involves finding your dream and pursuing it, despite the difficulty of that dream," Crump said.

In 2002, she tackled her biggest feat, the Iditarod. She finished the race and competed again in 2003 and 2004.

Land is currently working on writing several books based on her Iditarod adventures and the life of a musher. She has completed one that is geared toward middle school students, "Walla Walla, the Naked Sled Dog."

"Karen is a Midwesterner, like us, and she has accomplished fantastic things," Crump said. "In between racing, along with her dog, Borage, Karen speaks all over the country about her journey and inspires others to pursue theirs."

Land also writes columns for the Great Falls Tribune and is a magazine writer.

Sponsoring the event with the library are Blumhorst Veterinary Hospital, Marshall Veterinary Clinic, Odell Veterinary Clinic and Saline County Veterinary Service, Inc.

"Registration is required due to space issues," Crump said. "Please contact the library (886-3391) by November 14 if you wish to attend this program."

Contact Rachel Harper at

marshallcity@socket.net