Just about everyone will tell you that Balto, and his musher Kaasen, saved the people of Nome, Alaska, by delivering the antitoxin for the diphtheria epidemic in January 1925. However, Balto wasn’t the only dog that ran the brutal 674 miles.

In fact, there were roughly 150 other dogs and 20 other mushers that risked their lives. One dog, in particular, ran the longest and most dangerous leg of the race and was sadly not recognized until 2001. His name was Togo.

Seppala and Togo ran 170 miles with the intent to intercept the serum in Nulato but were unaware the relays sped the serum along the trail. They received the serum from the previous musher and proceeded to run the 91 miles to Golovin with a total of 261 miles.

During Togo’s run, his musher, Leonhard Seppala, made the decision to cross the Norton Strait knowing the danger after having just crossed it once already. Taking the risk shaved a day off the journey but almost cost them their lives.

Togo saved his team from drowning by jumping in the water to retrieve the snapped tow rope, effectively creating a makeshift harness and pulling the drift ice the team was stranded on back to shore. The team had to endure below freezing temperatures with gale force winds causing a wind chill of roughly -85 degrees.

The whiteout storms were almost impossible to navigate for Seppala but he put all his trust into his lead dog. The final challenge for Togo and the team was climbing Little McKinley Mountain, a total elevation climb of 1,500 meters with up and down ridges, before handing the serum off to the next musher.

After the success of the serum run, Seppala and Togo toured the country and participated in several dog sled races.

Eventually, Togo retired from racing and lived the remainder of his years at the Ricker Kennel in luxury.

Togo was preserved after his death and is on display at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters Museum in Wasilla, Alaska.

Togo’s story can be found at the Lincoln County Library in the youth section. If you’d like to learn more about “The Great Race of Mercy” be sure to check out “The Great Alaskan Race” DVD found in our main DVD collection or use our Libby app to view more options.