ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Here’s one proven way to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race: Let others take the early lead in the 1,000-mile trek to Alaska’s wind-scoured western coast.

That approach might seem counterintuitive to the novice fan of the famous sled dog race. Running the Iditarod is as simple and straightforward as hitching 16 dogs in front of a sled and bolting off into the snowy horizon, right?