Anchorage, over 600 miles away. With the harbor frozen and planes grounded by sub-zero blizzards, officials organized a relay of 20 mushers and about 150 dogs to transport the medicine. Balto’s Heroic Final Leg
At one point, the sled flipped in the gale, burying the medicine in the snow. Kaasen had to dig it out with his bare hands before continuing. Anchorage, over 600 miles away
The story of Balto is a legendary tale of endurance and survival from the 1925 "Great Race of Mercy," where a relay of sled dog teams raced across the Alaskan wilderness to save the town of Nome from a deadly diphtheria outbreak. The Race Against Death Kaasen had to dig it out with his
In January 1925, children in the remote town of Nome began dying from diphtheria. The only supply of life-saving antitoxin was in The only supply of life-saving antitoxin was in
While the dog and musher Leonhard Seppala ran the longest and most dangerous leg (about 260 miles), Balto was the lead dog for the final 53-mile stretch into Nome.
Balto pulled the team into Nome at 5:30 AM on February 2, 1925. Kaasen was so exhausted he could only mutter, "Damn fine dog". The Great Serum Run and Balto's Enduring Legacy
