Climate Change May Destroy One Of The World’s Greatest Sports

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of the most well-known sports events in the world. First run in 1973, the race involves sleds pulled by teams of 12 to 16 dogs. It covers almost 1,000 miles and runs from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nome. The fastest time in the race’s history is 7 days and 14 hours. Blizzards can be so strong that participants cannot see the trail ahead of them, and the wild chill can drop to 100 degrees F. 

Too Warm

The race is being moved further north this year, because climate change has made the weather along the traditional course too high. According to The Wall Street Journal, “The unseasonably warm temperatures meant that in a matter of days, Iditarod officials had to redo preparation that typically takes months as a team of Trail Breakers redrew the race map and trekked around Alaska inspecting the course for themselves while replacing some 15,000 markers.”
The Iditarod is not the only major sporting event disrupted by climate change.

Buffalo Snow

Last year, a playoff game between NFL teams, the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, was delayed a day because of snow in Buffalo. Global warming has been blamed for an increase in lake-effect snow. According to the Climate Reality  Project, “This warmer water increases the amount of moisture evaporating into the air, potentially intensifying lake-effect snow events.

Major league baseball games have been threatened in Phoenix because of the large number of 100-degree F games. On more than one occasion, the heat has caused a player to drop out for health reasons.

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