Canines, start your engines

It’s a sport Wile E. Coyote might have dreamed up: Strap on cross-country skis. Harness one, two or three Alaskan huskies to a tether. Accelerate to about 20 mph. Hold on tight. OK, so this doesn’t involve Acme rockets or roadrunners. But skijorers, as the competitors in this emerging sport are called, will hit the snow at the Annamaet Challenge Series Sled Dog Racing that begins Sunday in Fairbanks, Alaska. This season opener for skijorers and mushers consists of five consecutive sprint races every other week in different categories. “The Challenge Series is part competition and part training, getting ready for the championship season, which comes in February and March,” said Dave Partee, head of the Alaska Dog Mushers Assn., who shares 14 sled dogs with his wife. Mushers -- many of whom, such as Bonnie Borba, below, go on to championship races -- compete in four-, six- and eight-dog categories as well as in an “unlimited dogs” class. The skijorers compete in one-, two- or three-dog categories. Don’t expect an Iditarod-type marathon: These sprints last a day and cover relatively short distances. Temperatures may range anywhere from 20 above to 20 below, but the optimal temperature is zero, Partee says, because the dogs are susceptible to overheating. “Sprint dogs won’t pace themselves, so you have to do that for them,” he adds. About 100 folks turn out for the annual challenge series, Partee says, so it’s a good opportunity to get a close-up view of the action. Races are run at the Jeff Studdert Racegrounds; for more information, go to www.sleddog.org.