The top 30 mushers in this year’s Iditarod will split a combined purse of roughly $550,000, the race director said today.That’s a more than $20,000 boost compared to the previous year, said executive director Stan Hooley. For cash-strapped mushers who spend tens of thousands of dollars to compete in the sport’s premiere event, however, it still falls far short of the record $875,000 shared among the top 30 spots in 2008.In Iditarod, a faster finish can mean thousands of dollars in extra winnings — cash mushers use to pay for dog food, airfare and other costs associated with the race.Read more here: http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/159706
