In the brutal winter of 1925, the remote Alaskan port town of Nome faced a dire threat: a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. With over 10,000 residents, many of them children, the town’s isolation amplified the crisis. The only hope lay in a life-saving antitoxin, but the nearest accessible point by rail was Nenana, a staggering 674 miles away. As a fierce blizzard descended, grounding all aircraft, officials determined that a relay of sled dog teams was the only viable option for delivering the serum in time. This desperate effort became known as the “Great Race of Mercy.”
Among the 20 teams assembled for this monumental task was that of Leonhard Seppala, widely regarded as Alaska’s most accomplished musher. Against all odds, the serum was delivered to Nome in an astonishing five and a half days. While Balto, the lead dog of the final 53-mile leg, would later achieve widespread fame, many acknowledge that Seppala and his Siberian Husky lead dog, Togo, were the true saviors of the day. The then 12-year-old Togo, alongside Seppala, covered an incredible 264 miles, a stark contrast to the average of 31 miles per team for the other participants.
Balto, who also hailed from Seppala’s kennel, received considerable acclaim, even earning a statue in New York City’s Central Park. However, those familiar with the true extent of the journey recognized Togo as the serum run’s unsung hero. Through the dedicated efforts of historians, Togo began to receive the recognition he rightfully deserved. In 2001, Togo was honored with his own statue in Seward Park, also in New York City. His remarkable story was further brought to life in the 2019 Disney+ movie Togo, starring Diesel, a descendant of Togo, in the titular role. Most recently, Togo was featured in the AKC Museum of the Dog’s exhibition, “Mush! A Tribute to Sled Dogs From Arctic Exploration to the Iditarod.”
From Energetic Pup to Legendary Lead
Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian native, first arrived in Alaska in 1900. At that time, sled dogs were typically powerful Alaskan Malamutes or mixed breeds. While working for the Pioneer Mining Company, Seppala established himself as a formidable musher in Nome. Around this period, William Goosak, a Russian fur trader, introduced the first known Siberian Huskies to America in Nome. These dogs, weighing around 50 pounds, surprisingly secured third place in the annual All-Alaska Sweepstakes race in 1909.
The following summer, English musher Fox Ramsay imported 60 superior Siberian Huskies from Siberia to Nome. In the 1910 All-Alaska Sweepstakes, an all-Siberian team led by musher “Iron Man” Johnson claimed first place, setting a course record that still stands. This demonstrated the remarkable capabilities of these smaller, yet tenacious, Siberian sled dogs.
While detailed whelping records from that era are scarce, it is generally understood that Togo was born in 1913. His dam, Dolly, is considered a foundational bitch in the development of the breed. At the time, Seppala’s kennel housed many of Nome’s premier sled dogs. As a puppy, Togo experienced health issues, and Seppala initially deemed the undersized and seemingly unfit dog unusable. However, after being given to a neighbor, Togo escaped back home by breaking through a glass window. Seppala found himself seemingly stuck with the incorrigible pup.
As Togo matured, he became intensely interested in the working sled dogs around him. Still too young for a harness, he frequently broke free to run alongside Seppala’s training teams, much to his owner’s dismay. His adventurous spirit led to a serious mauling when he encountered a team of much larger Malamutes. Exasperated, Seppala decided to apply his expertise with dogs. He harnessed the 8-month-old Togo and hooked him into the team. Togo ran an impressive 75 miles that day, progressing to lead position on his very first outing in a harness. Unbeknownst to Seppala, he had found the ideal lead dog he had always sought.
Togo and the 1925 Nome Serum Run
Over the years, Togo became renowned throughout Alaska for his resilience, strength, stamina, and intelligence, serving as Seppala’s most valued lead dog. Togo consistently led Seppala’s team in races and expeditions of varying lengths, forming an inseparable bond with his musher. During this period, Seppala himself won the All-Alaska Sweepstakes in 1915, 1916, and 1917.
By the time the diphtheria outbreak struck in 1925, Togo was 12 years old, and Seppala was 47. Both were considered past their prime racing years. However, with Nome’s fate hanging in the balance, the locals recognized this seasoned pair as their last hope. As diphtheria fatalities mounted, the decision to act was made. A multi-team dog sled relay was organized to transport 300,000 units of serum, which had arrived in Nenana by rail, the remaining 674 miles to Nome. On January 29th, Seppala and his 20 best Siberians departed Nome, with the dependable Togo leading the way, to intercept the westward-bound relay and collect the vital serum. Seppala notably left Balto behind, believing him not yet ready to lead a team.
With temperatures hovering around -30 degrees Fahrenheit, Seppala and his dogs made remarkable progress on their eastward journey, covering over 170 miles in just three days. Meanwhile, the outbreak intensified back in Nome. Unbeknownst to Seppala, officials decided to augment the relay with additional teams. After taking a shortcut across the treacherous frozen Norton Sound, Seppala miraculously encountered Henry Ivanoff’s team, one of the relay’s late additions, which was carrying the serum westward. The two teams almost missed each other on the trail, but thanks in large part to the dogs’ keen senses, the crucial serum transfer was made. It then fell upon Seppala and Togo to transport the serum back towards Nome.
During the return journey across the Sound, the team became stranded on an ice floe. Seppala, thinking quickly, tied a lead to Togo, his only option, and tossed the dog across five feet of open water. Togo attempted to pull the floe carrying the sled, but the line snapped. Remarkably, the exceptional lead dog managed to retrieve the line from the water, secure it around his shoulders like a harness, and ultimately guide his team to safety.
Back on solid ground after covering an extraordinary distance, Seppala and his team eventually handed off the serum in Golovin, just 78 miles from Nome. Musher Gunnar Kaasen, who, against Seppala’s initial judgment, had selected Balto to lead his team, was part of this final leg of the relay. On February 3rd, 1925, Kaasen and Balto arrived in Nome to a jubilant reception. The serum had arrived, and the town had been saved.
The Legacy of Togo
While Kaasen and Balto received significant public acclaim, it was Seppala and Togo whom insiders recognized as the true saviors. In the years following the serum run, Seppala embarked on journeys to the Lower 48 states with his celebrated sled dogs. Seppala traveled to New England and participated in a friendly sled dog race against a team of local Chinooks. With Togo leading, the considerably smaller Siberians emerged victorious.
Ultimately, Seppala and Elizabeth Ricker, a New England musher, established a Siberian Husky kennel in Poland Spring, Maine. It was here that Togo spent the remainder of his days in peace and dignity. The indomitable dog was laid to rest in 1929 at the age of 16. In 1932, Seppala returned to Alaska, and the kennel was subsequently closed, with the dogs entrusted to his friend, Harry Wheeler. According to the Siberian Husky Club of America, all registered Siberian Huskies today can trace their lineage back to the dogs from the Seppala-Ricker kennel or Harry Wheeler’s kennel.
Over time, Togo’s status as the serum run’s true hero gained broader recognition. In 1983, his taxidermied remains were given a place of honor at the Iditarod Race Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the most famous of modern dog sled races, takes place annually in March, with portions of its route mirroring the 1925 serum run trails.
Seppala passed away in 1967 at the age of 89. A fitting tribute, the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award is presented each year to the Iditarod musher who demonstrates the best care for their dogs. Reflecting on Togo and the “Great Race of Mercy,” which profoundly impacted his life and the future of sled dog racing, Seppala eloquently stated in his unpublished autobiography:
“Afterwards, I thought of the ice and the darkness and the terrible wind and the irony that men could build planes and ships. But when Nome needed life in little packages of serum, it took the dogs to bring it through.”
References & Further Reading On Togo:
Leonhard Seppala: The Siberian Dog and The Golden Age of Sleddog Racing 1908-1941 by Bob & Pam Thomas
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against An Epidemic by Gay & Laney Salisbury
Togo’s Fireside Reflections by Elizabeth M. Ricker
